MTA Megaprojects: Behind Schedule and Over Budget

Back in March, the MTA said the Fulton Transit Center would open on June 26, which is this Thursday. But that was then. Now, the agency says testing of some key systems is not yet complete — and the subway hub needs another 60 to 90 days.

"Critical testing and commissioning of key systems is still not complete," said Patrick Askew, who is with the MTA's independent engineering consultant (IEC). "In addition, project has not yet met the standards for a code compliance certificate.” 

The delay, which had been hinted about last week, was formally announced at Monday's MTA committee meetings.

MTA engineer Uday Durg said the contractual completion date for the Fulton Transit Center is December 2014.

Which is also when the MTA says the #7 subway extension — originally slated to open by the end of the Bloomberg administration — will hopefully open. That project has had problems with its escalators, elevators and ventilation fans.

But the agency's IEC also threw some cold water on that start date and said February 2015 is more likely.

There's a third delay: East Side Access, which will bring Long Island Rail Road trains into Grand Central Station, was originally slated to be done in 2009 and cost $4.3 billion. Now the MTA says it will be finished in 2022. Its new budget: nearly $10.2 billion.

But there's good news. The first phase of the Second Avenue Subway is on track to open in December 2016. At least for now.