Century-Old Elevated Structures Received Full Reconstruction to Ensure Long-Term Resiliency

See Photos Taken Before and After the Start of Construction Here. 

Watch a Video Time-Lapse of the Construction Here. 

MTA New York City Transit today announced that work on the over 100-year-old Myrtle Viaduct on the  line will be successfully completed on time and on budget this weekend, with regular service to resume on April 30 at 5:00 a.m. Combined with the reopening of the Fresh Pond Bridge this past September, service for customers along these crucial elevated structures in Brooklyn and Queens will be fully restored on time and on budget, and made resilient for decades to come.

“Completing this project on time and on budget was critical to show how serious we are about minimizing impacts on our customers as we perform this important work,” said MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota. “This is a major win for our customers and the surrounding community. We promised to modernize and stabilize the subway system, and we thank our customers for their continued patience as we take the necessary steps to do so.”

“It is imperative that M train service operates as efficiently as possible for all our customers who rely on it,” said NYC Transit President Andy Byford. “When we couple the long-term fortification work on this line with the smoother ride and quieter tracks, we can be sure we’re on our way to building the world-class transit system we’ve pledged to deliver. I’m very proud of my team for completing this job safely, on time, and on budget.”

The two elevated structures had been deteriorating after more than a century of 24/7 operation and exposure to the elements, but remained critical for the 60,000 riders who rely upon that segment of the  line each weekday. Ridership at the seven stations along the Myrtle Avenue line has grown 53 percent since 2000. The Fresh Pond Bridge, which carries trains between Fresh Pond Road and Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue, is used by an average of 9,000 customers on weekdays. The 310-foot Myrtle Viaduct, which carries trains between Myrtle Avenue and Central Avenue, transports an average of 50,000 customers each weekday. To ensure the long-term health of the line, the structures needed to be demolished and re-built from the ground up.

The $163 million project on the  line overpasses was conducted in two phases starting in July 2017. In Phase 1, work was performed on the Fresh Pond Bridge over two months in the summer during school vacation to minimize disruption caused by the service changes. The bridge was demolished, and 65 feet of new structure and 600 feet of new track and third rail were installed.

During Phase 1 and continuing throughout Phase 2, a new 310-foot concrete structure on the Myrtle Viaduct between Myrtle Avenue and Central Avenue stations was constructed, as well as:

• Installation of 310 feet of newly constructed low vibration tracks to reduce noise for nearby properties,
• Installation of 700 feet of new third rail, for reliable power delivery,
• Installation of stronger, newly-engineered track ties over 400 feet of track, and
• Replacement of all local signal equipment and cables

With the reopening of the Myrtle Viaduct Monday, riders will now have access to the full  line, as well as connections to  service. This will prove critical as the April 2019 closure of the  train tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan brings more riders to the  line.

Before, during and after the  line repairs, MTA New York City Transit engaged in robust outreach with the affected communities 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 were 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 created a website to keep customers informed of the project, as well as a section to submit questions and comments.