[4] The two lines run compass west along Archer Avenue to another station at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport, where connections can be made to the Long Island Rail Road and AirTrain JFK.

[5] The upper level tracks (E train) turn compass north under the Van Wyck Expressway, with another station at Jamaica Avenue.

A bellmouth with two additional trackways was built to the east of the station to facilitate this extension, which was never constructed due to lack of funding.

[9] The current Archer Avenue plans emerged in the 1960s under the city and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Program for Action.

It was conceived as an expansion of Queens Boulevard service to a Southeast Queens Line along the right-of-way of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Atlantic Branch towards Locust Manor, and as a replacement for the dilapidated eastern portions of the Jamaica Avenue elevated within the Jamaica business district which business owners and residents sought removal of; both would meet at the double-decked line under Archer Avenue.

This included the construction of the York College campus, which was planned to be built in conjunction with the LIRR Atlantic Branch connection.

[7]: 25 The line's opening was intended to end the need for residents of Southeast Queens to pay a double fare to get to Manhattan.

[17] As part of the project, several new engineering designs were employed, such as the use of graffiti resistant tiles, the use of welded steel rails on rubber pads to cut down on noise, and the use of blowers within the trackbed to disperse the heat generated by the trains' air conditioning systems.

[32] A continuous monitoring system was put into place and direct communication was maintained with LIRR personnel at track level.

[35][36] On May 23, 1976, MTA Chairman David Yunich announced that the construction of the two tunnels under the Long Island Rail Road in Jamaica were completed.

[18] On March 17, 1976, construction began on a 1,145 feet (349 m)-long section of Route 133 underneath the LIRR tracks and the Van Wyck Expressway.

The demolition of the structure, with the exception of the station platforms, was completed overnight to minimize potential impacts to businesses and traffic.

Work to reconstruct the street, install new traffic lights and overhead utility lines was expected to take an additional year.

The company had agreed to reduce its pumping at wells near the subway by the amount received by the NYCTA under previous agreement, but did not do so due to an increase in consumer demand.

[55] In 1981, due to lack of money, all bidding on new subway and bus projects for the MTA was suspended, except for the already-built portions of the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue lines, which were allowed to continue.

[18] Shortly after midnight on April 15, 1985, the BMT Jamaica Line was cut back to 121st Street, closing the Metropolitan Avenue and Queens Boulevard stations.

Track and signal modifications needed to accommodate the temporary operation of 121st Street as a terminal station was done during the two prior days, with J trains cut back to Eastern Parkway, replaced by the Q49.

[61] Despite the delays, disagreements over the condition of the line and the speed of construction, and the federal Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA)'s reluctance to provide funding to complete the line due to concerns over the quality of concrete and the leakage of water into the tunnels, construction was completed a year ahead of schedule, in 1983.

The tunnel flooded in summer 1984 during a heavy rainstorm, and even though structural improvements were made to fix the issue, groundwater leaks continued, scattering puddles along 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the line.

[68] It stated that it would consider restoring the funds if the MTA hired an independent consultant completed studies on the tunnels' structural integrity.

[66] A preliminary visual inspection by CTL found corrosion on the steel beams and minor cracks in concrete walls.

Had the UMTA funds not been restored, the MTA would have absorbed the cost by cutting back other projects in its $8.5 billion capital program.

[70] On April 9, 1986, the head of UMTA stated that if the 63rd Street and Archer Avenue lines were not completed, he would demand that the NYCTA refund more than $700 million in federal aid used on the projects.

[71] In June 1986, CTL issued a final report that found that the tunnels of the Archer Avenue and 63rd Street Lines were structurally sound.

The study was requested to show that it was possible to fix leaks and cracks in both projects and an improperly altered ceiling girder in the 63rd Street Tunnel.

The study analyzed damage done to the switches, signals, lights, pumps, ventilation fans, substations, third rail and escalator and elevator equipment that resulted from years of moisture, vandalism and neglect.

[19] A study completed in December 1988, before the line's opening, found that many riders getting to the stations in Jamaica used unregulated dollar vans to get there.

During the first phase of reconstruction, for six weeks between September 19 and November 2, E service was cut back to Jamaica–Van Wyck, with a shuttle bus connecting to Sutphin Boulevard and Jamaica Center.

To serve the Archer Avenue Line during late nights, a G train shuttle would have run between Jamaica Center and Van Wyck Boulevard.

[88]: 7–8  To make J/Z service more attractive, all trains on those lines consisted of refurbished subway cars that were quieter, graffiti-free, and had improved lighting and new floors.