By Philip Newman
A gigantic boring machine Thursday completed the final tunneling for the extension to Manhattan’s far west side of the No.7 subway line, used daily by thousands of Queens riders.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, MTA Chairman Jay Walder and other officials presided beneath 41st Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan as the machine broke through a cavern wall.
“For decades, people have talked about the Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s far west side as a potential opportunity to provide new office space, housing, parks and jobs adjacent to the world’s premier business district, but nothing ever happened,” Bloomberg said. “We’re acting to make sure that it does happen.”
The No. 7 subway will be extended westward beyond Times Square to 11th Avenue and 34th Street in a project costing $2.1 billion and paid for by the city. It is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2013.
Bloomberg held out hope a subway station could be built at 41st Street and 10th Avenue and urged New Yorkers to let Albany legislators know they must have money for the additional station.
