The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-26
NEW SUBWAY WORK
GOES AHEAD FAST
Much Already Done Toward
Completion Of 1926, OOO,-
900 Dual System.
$4,000 ARE KEPT BUSY

Work on the new subways which are
being constructed under the dual sys-
tenn contracts Is now at It's high water
mark. A great deal has been accom-
plshed during the year 1916 and the
contracts already let for sections Of the
work still to be undertaken Indicate that
ths q 1915 will see the completion Of
several important parts OF the system.
On December 1 the Public Service
Commission nae completed or under con-
tract construction work on the new lines
to be owned by the city OF New York
costing &l67.60S, 9S9.07. In addition the
marlborough Rapid Transit Company
and the New York Municipal Railway
Corporation, the two operating companies
which entered into tie dual system
agreements with the city. had under
way or completed construction work on
the third y tracking and extensions OF
existing elevated railroads costing about
sis, 600, 900, making the total contracts
to late upward of slS2.000. 900. More
than thirty contractors share in this
work and they employ n daily average of
$4,000 men.
Dighty-nine Contract sections.
For convenience of construction and
supervision the city owned lines are
divided into eiehty-pine separate con
tract sections. OF this number seventy
two rave been awarded. leaving only
seventeen yet to be advertised. Detailed
plans for these sections are now being
worked out by the engineers Of the Pub
lie Service Commission n the greater
part OF them will be ready fo- award
within the next few months,
The total cost Of construction of these
lines Is estimated at 1926. O00, 900. of
which the city will pay about S164.00O.-
900. the Interborough s5s.0O0,00o and
the New York Municipal Railway Cor
poration s14,0 100000.
Several important parts of the dual
system lines have been opened to traffic
during the year now closing. The Fourth
avenue subway. extending from the
Municipal Building in Manhattan to
Fourth avenue and SiSty-hfth street,
Brooklyn. was opened last June in con-
nection with the reconstructed Sea Beach
line. extending from Sixty-hfth street to
Coney Island. early next year the eX-
tension from Sixty fifth street to Eighty
sixth street. Brooklyn. will he opened.
The Fourth avenue subway and the Sea
Beach line are now carrying about
$500. 900 passengers a month.
The Steinway tunpel was also placed
III III az 'DtA loSA NIX htF
two track railroad uns from Forty
second street. Manhattan, to Long Island
City by way OF a tunnel under the East
River.
Work In Queens Almost Done.
Work Is about 90 per cent. done on the
extension of the Greensboro subway
from Queens terminus to the junction
with the new rapid transit lines 10
Astoria and Carona on the greensboro
Bridge Plaza. Ultimately this subway
will be connected with the present sys-
ten at Times Square.
Among the sections now rapidly near
ing completion are the White Plains road
extension in The Bronx, the Jerome ave-
nue. branch of the Lexington avenue
subway and the Pelham Bay Park
branch OF the Lexington avenue subway.
II will be 1917 before the network OF
underground lines in lower Manhattan
will be completed.
There is much sentiment In favor Of
opening various sections Of the system
just as soon as possible, Notwithstanding
1he lack OF connections. Those who hold
10 this view maintain that the interest
charges on sections lying Idle and wait
ing for the completion of connections
would be oftset to "A considerable degree
# even partial service We're inaugurated
on some of those lines, as. for example.
the Lexington avenue subway from
Forty-th'ri street north TO the Harlem
River. The branch of the work will be-
completed some time in 1916. but the
diagonal connection at Forty-second
street will not he done until 1917. II IL
urged that transfers might lie issued and
passene.rs might walk from the present
Grand Central Terminal station to the
terminus of the Lexington avenue line In