Halmar Completes MTA Project Under Budget;
Yonkers Contracting to Begin Major CT Job
TARRYTOWN—Officials with the MTA announced on Monday the completion of a major project in Manhattan that is ahead of schedule and significantly under budget. Across the state line, a groundbreaking was held in Stratford, CT to begin construction on a $1.6-billion project to modernize the New Haven Line. The New York City project’s main contractor is Halmar International of Nanuet, NY, while Yonkers Contracting Company, Inc. of Yonkers is the contractor for the Connecticut DOT job.
MTA officials and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the completion of major structural replacement work on the MTA’s Park Avenue Viaduct, 60 months ahead of schedule and $195 million under budget. Since October 2023, crews have replaced 196 bridge structures and more than 12,600 feet of railroad over 28 weekends without delaying a single train. The $765-million project fortifies the long-term reliability and resiliency of the critical corridor that carries 98% of all Metro-North Railroad service and all trains traveling into and out of Grand Central Terminal.
The structural replacement was completed in two phases. Phase 1, spanning East 115th Street to East 123rd Street, began in October 2023 and was completed 21 months ahead of schedule in October 2025. Phase 2, spanning East 127th Street to East 132nd Street, began in May 2024, with the final viaduct replacement completed during the weekend of July 25-26, 60 months ahead of schedule. With the replacement of the structure complete, the remaining work, including track replacement, cable installation and the removal of temporary fencing and girders, is expected to be completed by September 2027, the MTA stated.
Also on Monday, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto held a groundbreaking ceremony in Stratford to mark the start of construction on TIME-1, the largest component to date of TIME FOR CT, the Lamont administration’s comprehensive, multi-year initiative to rebuild, improve, and expand Connecticut’s rail network.
The three-phase, $1.6 billion TIME-1 project will modernize critical sections of the New Haven Line, creating the infrastructure necessary to deliver faster, more frequent, and more reliable rail service between New Haven and New York City. The New Haven Line is the busiest individual commuter rail line in the United States.
TIME-1 is expected to deliver one of the largest rail improvement upgrades in recent state history. The first phase of the TIME-1 project focuses on a three-mile section of track between Bridgeport and Stratford. Crews are installing new catenary structures that power trains, adding turn outs to the East Bridgeport Rail Yard, replacing the Longbrook Avenue Bridge in Stratford, upgrading track and signal infrastructure, and adding new track connections to improve train operations through the corridor. The first phase is a $340.7 million project that will support approximately 125 jobs. Funding includes $184 million from the Federal Railroad Administration, $145.5 million from the State of Connecticut, and $11.2 million from Amtrak.
Published: July 29, 2026.