The first portion of the line to be constructed was then known as the Houston–Essex Street Line, which ran under Houston, Essex, and Rutgers Streets. The contract for the line was awarded to Corson Construction in January 1929, at which time the city began evicting 10,000 residents within the line's route. Construction of this section officially started in May 1929. The contract for the Rutgers Street Tunnel, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, was awarded in May 1930. In May 1933, the city started widening Essex and Rutgers Streets to accommodate the future subway line underneath.