MTA switch replacement to cause some Manhattan subway suspensions
NEW YORK (WABC) -- There will be some big changes for riders of the 4, 5, and 6 lines.
Starting Monday, overnight and weekend trains will be suspended in Manhattan south of 42nd Street and in Brooklyn from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
The MTA says over a 21-day period there will be repairs to tracks and tunnels and switches will be replaced.
The agency added that the switches were last replaced in 1999.
"Our fiscal crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic are real challenges, but they're not going to stop us from performing this critical project to improve the reliability, performance and safety of our system for riders in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan," said NYC Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg. "We're working to make sure this work causes as few disruptions as possible for our customers and look forward to getting this vital project started."
"This is a prime example of our approach to bundling projects in order to maximize the amount of work we're able to perform at any given time," said MTA Construction & Development President Janno Lieber. "In order to maintain our progress on projects like these, we need the federal government to step up and provide the funding that will keep our transit system operating."
August traditionally sees some of the lowest subway ridership of the year, minimizing the disruption of the work and impacting as few riders as possible. The impact on customers is also significantly reduced due to the ongoing overnight subway shut down between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., during which there is robust alternate service available on MTA buses.
The stations in Manhattan that will be closed during construction hours have alternate subway lines within one to four blocks.
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