Thanks to a box-jacking method new to the U.S., a contractor “ambassador” program and flexibility allowed by design-build, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is well underway with a $2.6-billion, 10-mile project to add a third track to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) commuter line.
Running from Floral Park, N.Y. to Hicksville, N.Y., the effort constitutes one of the region’s most significant transportation infrastructure projects. Major project elements include elimination of eight grade crossings, new parking facilities, upgrades to railroad infrastructure and improvements to stations.