Background The Second Avenue Line was originally proposed in 1919 as part of a
massive expansion of what would become the
Independent Subway System (IND). Work on the line never commenced, as the
Great Depression crushed the economy. Numerous
plans for the Second Avenue Subway appeared throughout the 20th century, but these were usually deferred due to lack of funds. In anticipation of the never-built new subway line, the
Second and
Third Avenue elevated lines were demolished in 1942 and 1955, respectively. The Second Avenue Elevated had one station at
86th Street and Second Avenue—right above the same intersection where the subway station is located—while the Third Avenue Elevated had two stops on nearby Third Avenue at
84th Street and
89th Street.
Unrealized proposals The
Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposed a full-length
Second Avenue Subway as part of its 1968
Program for Action. The line was to be built in two phases—the first phase from 126th to 34th Streets, the second phase from 34th to Whitehall Streets. The line's planned stops in Manhattan, spaced farther apart than those on existing subway lines, proved controversial; the Second Avenue line was criticized as a "rich man's express, circumventing the
Lower East Side with its complexes of high-rise low- and middle-income housing and slums in favor of a silk stocking route." In a planning report, a possible 86th Street station had already been confirmed. All Second Avenue Subway stations built under the Program for Action would have included escalators, high intensity lighting, improved audio systems, platform edge strips, and non-slip floors to accommodate the needs of the elderly and people with disabilities, but no elevators. Space at each station would have been used for ancillary facilities. The stations were to be made with brick walls and
pavers alongside stainless steel, and would have relatively small dimensions, with mezzanine ceilings. Gruzen & Partners received a contract for the design of the 86th Street station. A combination of Federal and State funding was obtained, and despite the controversy over the number of stops and route, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 27, 1972, at Second Avenue and 103rd Street. Although work on the 86th Street station never commenced, three short segments of tunnel in
East Harlem and
Chinatown were built. However, the city soon experienced its most dire
fiscal crisis yet, due to the stagnant economy of the early 1970s, combined with the
massive outflow of city residents to the suburbs, and in September 1975, construction on the line stopped, and the tunnels were sealed. In 1999, the
Regional Plan Association considered
a full-length Second Avenue Subway, which include 86th Street as one of its planned 31 stations. The main station entrance would be at 86th Street to the north, with additional exits between 86th and 82nd Streets to the south.
Construction In March 2007, plans for the
construction of the Second Avenue Subway were revived. The line's first phase, the "first major expansion" to the New York City Subway in more than a half-century, included three stations in total (at 72nd, 86th, and 96th Streets), which collectively cost $4.45 to $4.5 billion. Its construction site was designated as being from 105th Street and Second Avenue to 63rd Street and Third Avenue. The MTA awarded a $337 million contract—one that included constructing the tunnels between 92nd and 63rd Streets, building a launch box for the
tunnel boring machine (TBM) at 92nd to 95th Streets, and erecting access shafts at 69th and 72nd Streets—to Schiavone Construction,
Skanska USA Civil, and J.F. Shea Construction. The line's construction commenced on April 15, 2007, though planning for the station was finalized in June 2007, when the station entrances' locations were confirmed. On September 15, 2011, the contract for building the station was awarded to the joint venture of
Skanska USA and Traylor Bros Inc. , the cavern stretching from 83rd to 87th Streets was 57% excavated. By July 2013, construction of the station was 53% complete. The final blast for the 86th Street station was completed for an escalator cavern on November 22, 2013. Skanska/Traylor were still installing waterproofing and steel reinforcement, as well as putting concrete around the cavern, entrances, and ancillaries. , entrances 1 and 2 were being built, and excavation was 100% complete; The station was scheduled to be completed by May 16, 2016, but the estimated completion date was pushed back to October 2016. In October 2016, concerns arose that the station might not open on time because workers had only installed 10 of the station's 13 escalators. However, the 86th Street station passed all required systems testing by December 18, 2016. ==Station layout==