Forte Construction completes replacement of four elevators at Roosevelt Ave. & 74th Station

Queens, NY Forte Construction Corp. has completed the replacement of four elevators at 74 St.–Bdw./Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Ave. subway station, delivered through two separate MTA accessibility contracts sequenced to maintain elevator service and station accessibility throughout construction.

Elevators Connecting to the 7 Line Replaced

Forte Construction completed the first two elevator replacements in collaboration with the MTA and lead designer Goldman Copeland as part of the multi-year 19 Elevators Project that reached substantial completion this summer. One spans four levels of the station, connecting the street, lower mezzanine, intermediate mezzanine, and Flushing-bound 7-line platform. The other elevator replaced provides service between the Manhattan-bound 7-line platform and upper mezzanine, supporting connections to the E, F, M, and R lines and surrounding bus network.

The ninth-busiest subway station in the MTA system and the busiest borough, 74 St.–Bdw./Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Ave. serves more than 15 million riders annually and provides connections between the 7 line and the E, F, M, and R trains. Beyond serving thousands of daily commuters, the station connects riders to popular destinations and transportation hubs.

“At a station as complex as Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue, every connection plays an important role in how riders move through the transit system,” said Elif Chavez, project manager for 19 Elevators. “Completing both elevators on schedule was a proud accomplishment for our team and an important part of improving the experience for the thousands of riders who navigate this station each day.”

Two Modern Elevators Accessing the E, F, M, R Lines

Building on this work, the Forte-Gramercy Joint Venture, together with the MTA and Lead Designer Stantec, replaced two additional elevators at the station as part of the ongoing 37 Elevators Project. Connecting the mezzanine levels with platforms serving the E, F, M, R, and 7 lines, the elevators further improve access throughout the interconnected station. The successful commissioning of these elevators marked the 23rd and 24th elevators completed under the ongoing 37 Elevators accessibility project, now in its third and final phase.

“Replacing elevators within an active transit system is about more than modernizing infrastructure; it’s about ensuring that the improvements we make continue to serve New Yorkers well into the future,” said Rudy Maroun, project manager for 37 Elevators. “The successful completion of this project reflects the care and responsibility our teams bring to this work and our shared commitment with the MTA in providing dependable elevator service for years to come.”