 Preliminary engineering and a final tunnel design was completed by a joint venture between AECOM and Arup . On March 20 , 2007 , upon completion of preliminary engineering , the MTA awarded a contract for constructing the tunnels between 92nd and 63rd Streets , a launch box for the tunnel boring machine ( TBM ) at 92nd to 95th Streets , and access shafts at 69th and 72nd Streets . This contract , valued at $ 337 million , was awarded to S3 , a joint venture of Schiavone Construction , Skanska USA Civil , and J.F. Shea Construction . A ceremonial groundbreaking took place on April 12 , 2007 , in a tunnel segment built in the 1970s at 99th Street . At the time , it was announced that passengers would be able to ride trains on the new line by the end of 2013 . Actual construction work began , on the surface of Second Avenue between 91st and 95th Streets , on April 23 , 2007 . Initial construction work involved moving utility pipes , wires , and other infrastructure , which took 14 months , far more than the MTA 's anticipated eight months . For boring , a trench was dug from 96th to 93rd Streets . 
