The 63rd St Tunnel happens to be my favorite of all the tunnels. Known for years as the “tunnel to nowhere,” as well as the “Zoo York Tunnel” by artists, the 63rd St Tunnel first opened to passenger service in 1989. A massive connection for multiple lines and spanning from Midtown Manhattan to Long Island City, Queens, the 63rd St Tunnel starts at 57th St on both 6th and 7th Ave, continues north into Central Park, and curves east under the park, with the two branches coming together near 5th Ave. From there, it continues east on 63rd St, across the river (and through Roosevelt Island), and across 41st Ave in Queens, finally making its connection to the Queens Blvd Line at Northern Blvd (around 40th Rd), on the 36th St Interlocking. The tunnel contains stations at Lexington Ave—63rd St, Roosevelt Island, and 21st St—Queensbridge. There is an additional branch of the 63rd St Tunnel which begins at the Lex/63rd station, curving toward the north to meet the Second Avenue Subway. A bellmouth provision was also constructed in the tunnel between 1st and 2nd Ave to accommodate a later connection between the Second Avenue Subway south of 63rd and the Queens Blvd Line.
Construction on the 63rd St Tunnel began in 1969, following the MTA’s Program for Action plan for subway/rail improvements and extensions. The project would serve as a complementary project to the Chrystie St Connection and 6th Ave express tracks, both of which had been built over the prior decade and a half. Those projects introduced a higher capacity to the 6th Ave Line, as well as building a new stub terminal at 57th St and 6th Ave. The 63rd project would make use of this increased capacity and create the connection between the 57th St terminal and the Queens Blvd mainline. The plan for 63rd also called for a bi-level under-river tunnel, with the lower level being dedicated for Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service to Grand Central (the current-day East Side Access project), while the upper level would be used by NYCT.
The reason I classify the 63rd St Tunnel as a Second System Gem is that it was the latest evolution of an earlier IND proposal for new under-river tubes at 61st St—later moved up to 76th St. The 63rd St Tunnel was also designed with several Second System lines in mind: the Second Avenue Subway (SAS) and the Queens Super Express. Half of the Manhattan portion of 63rd was unused until SAS Phase I opened in 2017, with 2 tracks and half of the Lex/63 station being unused until that point. The portion between Lex/63 and Roosevelt Island was also built with a bellmouth provision for later SAS construction, to allow a connection between SAS south of 63rd and the Queens Blvd Line.
When NYC hit the fiscal crisis in the mid-’70s, the Second Avenue Subway project was called off, while the 63rd St Tunnel dragged on. A diverse set of construction methods were utilized to build this tunnel, a big part of why it is my favorite. Some sections were cut-and-cover, while others were deep bored via tunneling shield, while others were mined out via drilling and blasting, and the two under-river sections via sunken prefabricated tubes. Additionally, the tunnel was built with many features which can be observed as distinguishing hallmarks of NYC subway construction at the time: continuous welded rail, concrete roadbed and rail mounts, rubber padding on rail plates, fluorescent lighting, modern architecture, and more.
The result of these different and improved methods is an architecturally diverse and pleasing tunnel, full of nooks and crannies to explore and unique angles unlike those found anywhere else in the system—even the world. This architectural diversity, labyrinth of spaces, and visually appealing design are what make the 63rd St Tunnel my favorite. Construction would continue behind schedule through budget shortfalls and logistical issues, until finally opening in 1989—two decades after construction began.
With the 1989 completion, the Lexington Ave/63rd St, Roosevelt Island, and 21st St stations were opened. However, the 21st St station in Queens served as the terminal, with the tunnel ending there. As such, the customer reach was extremely limited. To add insult to injury, more than half of the entire tunnel was unused: half of the tunnel in Manhattan had been built as a provision for Second Avenue Subway service which didn’t exist, and half of the tunnel in Queens and between Queens and Manhattan was intended for LIRR service to Grand Central, which also didn’t exist. The connection to the Queens Blvd Line was finally completed in 2001, 32 years after construction initiated.
The connection to SAS was not completed until 16 years later, on Jan 1st, 2017. For photos of the tunnel prior to and during SAS construction, check out the LTV Squad website, with an article from when the tunnel was dormant, and an update from mid-construction, as well as this one showing the SAS tracks prior to the project. Today, the 63rd St Tunnel serves Q trains to/from Broadway and 2nd Ave, as well as F trains to/from Queens Blvd and 6th Ave. Construction on the LIRR East Side Access project is also nearly complete, after years of delays, controversy, and budget gouging (I will do a mega-post on the ESA project once it is complete).
