The completion date for the project has also been pushed back multiple times. Once planned to be operational by 2009 at a cost of $4.3 billion, East Side Access was then rescheduled to open in 2017, 2016, 2018, 2019, September 2023, and then either December 2023 or late 2023. However, , the MTA was looking to start passenger service in December 2022, at an estimated cost of $11.1 billion. , the MTA had a "target revenue service" date of May 2022 (whereupon construction would be essentially complete), while the line was planned to open to the public in December 2022. The timeline was only slightly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, although social distancing measures related to the pandemic could potentially delay the timeline more.