Grand Central subway station upgrades finally done after years of construction

A $700 million project to rehabilitate three subway stations below 42nd Street with new staircases, escalators, elevators and more was completed Tuesday after five years, MTA officials announced.

The project — called the 42nd Street Connection — involved renovations to the Times Square, Bryant Park and Grand Central stations.

MTA Chair Janno Lieber spoke at Grand Central, which 400,000 people pass through each day. He said the completed work means the station now has 30 new turnstiles, 38 new or widened staircases, 10 replaced escalators, 10 replaced elevators and a wider mezzanine floor where riders pass through turnstiles before reaching platforms for the 4, 5, 6 and 7 trains.

For years, construction on the project resulted in crowded platforms and walkways. Lieber said the agency tri