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MTA completes bridge project $93M under budget

28/10/2025, 13:42

Image courtesy of MTA

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority has achieved what’s nearly unheard of in public infrastructure: completing a major bridge replacement $93 million under budget and more than four years ahead of schedule.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has completed the first phase of its Park Avenue Viaduct Replacement Project, coming in $93 million under budget and 51 months ahead of schedule, a rare achievement in public infrastructure.

The $590 million initial phase replaced 8,240 feet of track on the 132-year-old structure using 128 prefabricated bridge installations. Contractor Halmar International deployed an overhead gantry system that enabled crews to swap out entire sections of the concrete and steel deck during 19 weekend work windows, avoiding service disruptions to Metro-North Railroad.

Phase one finished 21 months early, while overlapping construction on phase two has accelerated the overall timeline by more than four years.

MTA CEO Janno Lieber credited the success to modern construction techniques after decades of deferred maintenance. “The Park Avenue Viaduct is a prime example of critical MTA infrastructure that had been left to rot for decades, but not anymore,” Lieber said, noting the authority plans to apply similar cost-saving approaches across its $68 billion 2025-2029 capital program.

The Metro-North line serves commuters across New Jersey, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Connecticut.