Cranberry Tube, which carries A and C subway trains, shut down weekends

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Cranberry Tube, which carries A and C subway trains between Brooklyn and Manhattan, will be shut for 40 weekends starting Saturday.

"I really can't believe they're doing this," Queens resident Jada George said.

For the non-consecutive weekends running through the summer of 2016 -- nearly an entire year -- there will be no A and C trains on their normal tracks.

"I take the train to school, and I have to take the A train to Fulton Street," straphanger Joy Johnson said. "So that would be really annoying, plus I have to go to my program on Saturdays."

On the weekends, A and C trains will run on the F tracks between West 4th Street near Washington Square Park to Jay Street/Metrotech in Brooklyn. But neither train will make any stops at High Street, Fulton Street, Chambers Street, Canal Street and Spring Street.

"That's an inconvenience for everybody," Manhattan resident Annmarie Richardson said. "Especially because we just, they just went up on our fare."

It certainly will be a pain for nearly 200,000 riders very weekend, but it's necessary, the MTA said. The A and C lines still need major repairs from Superstorm Sandy, when they were completely flooded. The project will cost more than $96 million.

"We're doing a huge amount of work replacing signals, pump rooms, cables, replacing ducts, and substations," the MTA's Kevin Ortiz said.

Riders are urged to factor in more time for travel, something a lot of riders are used to but really can't stand.

"It would take what should be a 20-minute ride an hour," rider Sharon Gold said. "And I just give up."

The MTA can only do this type of work one tube at a time, and they still have major work to do on the L, 4, 5 and F trains, all related to Sandy.

The schedule of repairs will ensure projects will be completed for early weekday service restoration.

Subway service alternatives include:

-- High St alternatives: Clark St 23, York St F, Court St NR, Borough Hall 2345, and Jay St-MetroTech AFR

-- Fulton St A alternatives: Fulton St 2345JZ and Cortlandt St R

-- Chambers St A alternatives: Chambers St 123, City Hall R, World Trade Center E, Park Place 23, and Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall 456

-- Canal St A alternatives: Canal St 1, Franklin St 1, Canal St R, and Canal St E

-- Spring St alternatives: Canal St 1, Houston St 1, Prince St NR, Spring St 6, Broadway-Lafayette St BDFM, and Spring St E