Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Expansion
FACTS
KEYWORDS: Design-Build Infrastructure LIRR MTA Transportation
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The LIRR 3rd Track Expansion Project extends 9.8 miles from Floral Park Station to Hicksville Station in Nassau County, New York. The addition of a third track will increase track capacity through the corridor making it easier to run trains along this busy, congested rail corridor. This improves service reliability and makes transit more attractive, furthering the goal of getting travelers out of cars, reducing traffic congestion and reducing adverse environmental impacts.
ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Civil’s scope of work includes construction of approximately 10 miles of a third track within the existing railroad right-of-way; elimination of seven street-level crossings; installation of retaining and sound attenuation walls; improvements and modifications to seven existing train stations, including platforms and parking; and other improvements related to railroad infrastructure, such as signals, power and communication systems.
With a total construction time of 69 months, the project is scheduled to break ground in early 2018 and become operational by late 2022. The third track will have a substantial impact on Long Island’s economy and ensure the success of the ongoing East Side Access Construction. According to the Wall Street Journal the expansion will improve railroad services by increasing flexibility, reliability and capacity on five LIRR branches that carry about 40 percent of the rail line’s 300,000 weekday passengers.
Built in 1834, LIRR has 126 stops crossing Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island, and provides transportation to the entire metropolitan area in various capacities. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, carrying approximately 304,000 customers each weekday on approximately 750 daily trains. The system has more than 700 miles of track on 11 different branches. The LIRR’s Main Line is the central artery of the commuter rail system in Nassau and Suffolk counties.