NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded more than $274 million of stimulus funds to help finance two projects in New York, a group of officials said on Friday.

The funds will be allocated to the Second Avenue subway project and the East Side Access Project, Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Representatives Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney said in a statement.

The Second Ave project aims to ease congestion on the Lexington Avenue line on Manhattan's east side, the busiest subway line in the nation.

The East Side Access project aims to create a rail link from the Long Island Railroad to Grand Central station via the 63rd Street tunnel, cutting commuting time for riders from Long Island.

The Second Ave project will receive $78.9 million, while the East Side Access project will receive $195.4 million.

(Reporting by Ciara Linnane; Editing by James Dalgleish)