Amtrak/LIRR Moynihan Train Hall

Supposedly first phase of the west concourse expansion was supposed to be completed by September 2016 but I read recently it was still being completed.

On satellite imagery it looks like they rebuilt the front steps of the Post Office and were still working on the side corner on the outside,

Anyone know the status of this project? I realize its just the beginning of the project but previously this concourse was infrequently used and as Penn Station is overcrowded, this concourse and Farley post office entrance will help.

Forgive the dust.

Was just through there last week. Some of the work is done and is open -- meaning the widening of the existing west end LIRR concourse which is part of the project but it was clear the work is still underway. I did not observe the exterior entrances so I'm not sure if those are open.

As of today, the addition to the West End Concourse and the new stairwell to the southwest corner of 33rd Street and 8th Avenue--the one clad in black granite--were still blocked off. Through the windows of the Farley Building on 33rd Street, it was apparent that the escalators connecting the expanded concourse to the new 33rd Street entrance are in place. The finishes look pretty much complete. However, a large scaffolding bridge spanning the escalator bank was still in place. To my eye, it did not seem that much work remained to be done.

Calling on Governor Cuomo to get the builder to complete and open the thing the same way he did with the Second Avenue Subway. Come on governor, it is another good photo opportunity.

The track stairways look complete, too (From tracks 5-12). Probably last minute finishing touches. The ceiling in the new ramp to the 8th Ave IND seems somewhat unfinished, or rather crudely finished. (as does the whole renovation of that ramp).

Wonder if this will get a formal announcement, or just open.

My money is on official announcement with Cuomo making it. Unfortunately, given that to the untrained eye the final touches needed seem minor and there has been no visible progress in the last 3 weeks, I suspect that there is a dispute with the contractor on something -- maybe quality issues, maybe about change orders, or something else like that.

The latest news is that even the government corporation responsible for the building of the West End Concourse has no clue when it will open: http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/201 ... uters.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A brief quote:

At that time, officials at the Empire State Development Corporation said the stairs would be completed in Fall 2016...
"The project is in the final construction stages and is expected to open in the near future," said Jonah Bruno, an Empire State Development Corporation spokesman...
Bruno had no other information about the exact status of the work or a possible opening date.

Maybe the contractor is having " unspecified " labor problems ? Leave it to others to speculate what problems.

Maybe Amtrak is being as particular "picky" with ht and Moynihan facilities as they are with the new
Viewliners? Construction may be approaching completions but the punch list may be extremely long?

One thing that is certain from recent experiences, Amtrak isn't going to move in until everything meets their expectations.

As far as I know (and I could be wrong), Amtrak will not be doing any "moving in" as part of Phase I of the Moynihan Station project. So that seems to be an unlikely reason for why Phase I has not yet completely opened.

There's nothing for Amtrak to move into at this point. The West End concourse is simply a slight expansion of access points on the western end of the existing station. Passengers will now be able to leave track level on tracks 5-12 on the west side where they couldn't before and to exit the station on the west side of 8th avenue.

The remainder of the Moynihan expansion is a long way away.

east point wrote:Maybe the contractor is having " unspecified " labor problems ? Leave it to others to speculate what problems.

I think the contractor is having major quality problems.
The new terrazzo floor on the west end already has major cracks in it in the tracks 20-21 area right where the temp LIRR track screens are located.
Not minor cracks, but huge ones..

EuroStar wrote:My money is on official announcement with Cuomo making it. Unfortunately, given that to the untrained eye the final touches needed seem minor and there has been no visible progress in the last 3 weeks, I suspect that there is a dispute with the contractor on something -- maybe quality issues, maybe about change orders, or something else like that.

Definate quality issues on the flooring. See the track 20-21 area around the temp LIRR track screens. Floor has several major cracks in it already

My limited understanding is that moisture has to be carefully controlled so that the cement doesn't dry too fast and crack, and there are also additives available?