Five-Week Closure Related To Sandy Repairs
The G train will be exclusively Brooklyn’s for five straight weeks beginning next Friday, July 25, as the MTA will close a portion of the line between Long Island City and Greenpoint to repair tunnel damage inflicted during Hurricane Sandy.
Service will be suspended on the G line between its northern terminus-Court Square-and Nassau Avenue around-the-clock beginning at 10:30 p.m. on July 25 and continuing through 5 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2. The train will continue to operate between Nassau Avenue and Church Avenue.
Part of the MTA’s Fix and Fortify Sandy Recovery Work program, the closure will allow crews to continue to rebuild the Greenpoint Tube, which runs below the Newtown Creek between Long Island City and Greenpoint and was significantly flooded by Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge in October 2012.
Approximately 3 million gallons of salt water poured through the tunnel when the storm struck, damaging vital electronic and mechanical equipment. Basic repairs allowed the MTA to restore service to the line weeks after the storm, but according to the authority, more permanent repairs are needed to improve service and prevent future storms from causing similar damage.
The Greenpoint Tube was shut down for 12 weekends last year to complete one part of the repairs, and the continuous shutdown to begin next week will allow the MTA to complete its task.
As for those who rely upon G train service in Long Island City and Greenpoint, they can use free shuttle buses stopping at or near the stations affected by the shutdown: Court Square (where E and 7 train service are available), 21st Street, Greenpoint Avenue and Nassau Avenue.
One shuttle bus line will operate primarily along Manhattan Avenue and connect riders to the G train at Nassau Avenue, while the other runs primarily along McGuinness Boulevard and connects riders to the G and L trains at the Lorimer Street station.
The Manhattan Avenue shuttle bus will stop as follows:
– Court Square-on Jackson Avenue at 45th Avenue;
– 21st Street-on Jackson Avenue at 47th Avenue (to Nassau Avenue) or at 21st Street (to Court Square);
– Greenpoint Avenue-on Manhattan Avenue at Greenpoint Avenue; and
– Nassau Avenue-on Manhattan Avenue at Bedford Avenue.
The stops for the McGuinness Boulevard shuttle bus are as follows:
– Court Square-on Jackson Avenue at 45th Avenue;
– 21st Street-on Jackson Avenue at 47th Avenue (to Lorimer Street) or at 21st Street (to Court Square);
– Greenpoint Avenue-on McGuinness Boulevard at Greenpoint Avenue;
– Nassau Avenue-on McGuinness Boulevard at Nassau Avenue; and
– Lorimer Street-on Metropolitan Avenue at Union Avenue.
For more information about the G train shutdown, visit www.mta.info.
