Second Ave. Subway’s west tunnel complete

The 485-ton machine that’s been boring southward through the ground below Second Avenue since last May has completed the west tunnel for the future subway line that will, by 2016, extend from 63rd Street to 96th Street as part of the Q train, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced last Friday. That 7,200-foot tunnel will ultimately become part of the Second Avenue Subway — but for now, the MTA is focusing on what it calls “Phase I,” which is the Q train extension. Next up for the massive tunnel boring machine is getting disassembled and moving back to 92nd Street. From there, it will again head south to create the east tunnel. TRD