Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who represents a large portion of upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, said Tuesday he is thrilled about the commencement of the next phase of the Second Avenue subway expansion.

During an appearance on “Mornings On 1,” Espaillat said the expansion will serve as an important connection for East Harlem and the rest of the city.

“It will connect East Harlem to the rest of the world really. It will not just address the transportation desert in East Harlem and move thousands of people to and from work, but it will also connect to Metro North," he said. "It will connect via express bus to LaGuardia Airport and future water transportation both on the Harlem and Hudson side of Manhattan. So, this is like an uptown Grand Central project.”

He emphasized that the expansion, slated to begin in March, will also serve as an “economic stimulus,” creating thousands of jobs that he wants to ensure goes to local residents first.

“I’m watchful, very watchful of this, and I will be meeting with the MTA and unions and everybody else to guarantee that local folks get those jobs,” he said.

The MTA announced the first tangible step to push the Q train to 125th Street on Monday, awarding a contract for utility relocation to CAC Industries Inc.

The Second Avenue subway will extend north from 96th Street and have stops at 106th, 116th and 125th streets. The first phase of the Second Avenue subway opened in 2017, with the Q train extending from 57th Street and Seventh Avenue to 96th Street.

The MTA said the Second Avenue subway extension to 125th Street in East Harlem will now be completed between 2030 to 2039.