L subway shut down scheduled for weekends through May 18

L subway riders will have a weekend of frustration unless they make other plans.

The MTA is shutting down the L line between Lorimer Street in Williamsburg and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan for five weekends for maintenance work.

The shutdown begins Friday at 11:30 p.m. and continues until Monday at 5 a.m.

The L line in Brooklyn will stop running from the 8th Avenue-14th Street stop in Manhattan to Lorimer Street in Brooklyn; from that stop, the train will run into Canarsie. The shutdown continues every weekend through May 18.

The service operates between Rockaway Parkway and Lorimer Street.

On Friday, they packed in like sardines during the morning commute at the Bedford Avenue station. The L subways were so crowded, many commuters had no choice but to catch the next train. Williamsburg's transition to a hipster haven and tourist destination has meant an explosion in ridership on the L line. The MTA said it must upgrade and maintain tracks to handle the demand of extra trains.

As an alternate route, M service is extended to the 57th Street F subway station. Riders are urged to use A, F, J, or M subways, the M14 or free shuttle service.

Most passengers said, however, that the biggest problem is a lack of convenient options. Small business owners said they also expect to take a hit.