The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that the reconstruction of the Fresh Pond Bridge on the line will be successfully completed on September 1 as scheduled. This will conclude the first phase of a crucial $163 million project to replace two deteriorating line overpasses, the completion of which will ensure safe and reliable service for thousands of customers in Brooklyn and Queens. During Phase 1, the MTA successfully rebuilt the century-old Fresh Pond Bridge using modern building materials that will ensure the safe operation of trains over the bridge for decades to come. This bridge is vital to service, carrying trains to its Queens terminus and providing access to subway car storage yards. Completion of the first phase of this project will allow the restoration of train service to four stations on the Myrtle Avenue line in Queens.

Phase 2 work on the elevated tracks atop the Myrtle Viaduct will begin on Saturday, September 2. This century-old, 310-foot-long concrete structure connects the with the lines and has been in daily, non-stop use since it was built in 1913. The aging concrete deck has deteriorated after decades of heavy use and exposure to inclement weather, and must be replaced along with the tracks and other infrastructure.

The reconstruction of the Myrtle Viaduct, which is located between the Myrtle Av and Central Av stations, involves building a concrete deck structure and safety walkways and installing new third rail, low-vibration tracks, new steel columns, new foundations, and new drainage. The work requires a full suspension of train service on the overpass to allow for its complete demolition and to provide unfettered access for workers. The work is expected to take eight months, ending in spring 2018. Once the demolition and reconstruction are completed, customers who use the train or live near the track structure will notice a smoother ride and quieter track operations thanks to the new rails and infrastructure.

“Work is on schedule for this critical line reconstruction project that is sorely needed on the Myrtle Avenue Line. Without rebuilding the Myrtle Viaduct and the Fresh Pond Bridge, we would not be able to continue to run trains safely because the deteriorating condition of these structures are getting to a point beyond what our crews can fix during routine maintenance. We thank our customers for their patience and we hope they will agree that the short-term inconvenience now will be worth the improved reliability moving forward,” said MTA Managing Director Veronique Hakim.

During the final phase of the Myrtle Viaduct reconstruction, service operates in two sections: as local weekday service between Broadway Junction and Forest Hills-71 Av, and as a shuttle train service making all station stops between the Middle Village-Metropolitan Av terminus and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs . The shuttle train will serve Metropolitan Av, Fresh Pond Rd, Forest Av, Seneca Av and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs, running every 10 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes during overnight hours. At Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs, shuttle train customers can switch to the line or free shuttle buses for service to the Myrtle Av station. Customers paying with a MetroCard who have exited at either Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs or Myrtle Av and then transferred to the free shuttle bus can re-enter the subway station at the other end of the shuttle bus route, allowing customers to connect between Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs and Myrtle Av without paying twice.

For service to Knickerbocker Av or Central Av, which will continue to be closed during this work, customers can transfer to free shuttle buses to the Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs and Myrtle Av stations.

MTA New York City Transit has engaged in robust outreach with the communities affected by the line repairs and met with local leaders and community boards representing Bushwick, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale prior to the start of the project. Transit personnel will be on site at affected stations and shuttle bus stops before the service change to provide information, assist customers and answer questions. MTA NYC Transit also has created a website to keep customers informed of the project. Approximately 60,000 customers use the line on an average weekday between the Myrtle Av and Middle Village-Metropolitan Av stations, which is the portion of the line affected by the entire reconstruction project. Ridership at the seven stations along that branch has grown 53 percent since 2000.

MTA NYC Transit is dedicated to providing safe and reliable service to its customers, and the line reconstruction project is part of that promise to deliver and improve subway service. MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota has announced a subway action plan to stabilize and improve the subways and to modernize and grow the system. His plan is in addition to the MTA’s 2015-2019 Capital Program, which allocates $14.5 billion for subway improvements over the next few years, including $4 billion for stations, $4.5 billion for signals and track work, and $1.7 billion for new cars. Details on the Capital Program are available at mta.info/capital.