69th Street station in Woodside, pictured in 2017 (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
Feb. 13, 2019 By Nathaly Pesantez
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released more details on major capital project works long slated for three 7 line stations in Woodside.
The 52nd, 61st, and 69th Street stations have all been lined up to undergo station renewal projects of varying degrees for several years, with work contracts at last anticipated to be awarded this year and in 2020 that will kick off a new milestone in the process, New York City Transit said last week.
The 52nd Street and 69th Street stations will see overcoat paint projects and structural treatments underway in the first part of 2020, after the MTA awards contracts for both sites by the end of 2019.
52nd Street station in Woodside, pictured in 2017. (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
The work at the two stations includes removing the existing paint on the elevated train structure and station interiors and exteriors to repaint them afresh. Structural steel will also be replaced as need be, and a deep cleaning will be done to both sites.
The two-station plan coincides with painting and repair work between the 7 line from 72nd to 104th Streets, a project the MTA awarded a $45 million contract for last year. The Jackson Heights to Corona overhaul is expected to take two years, with work starting last spring.
A similar project is also planned along the 101-year-old line extending to 42nd Street in Sunnyside. The contract for the work was set to be advertised by the end of 2018.
As for the 61 St – Woodside station, which connects to the Long Island Rail Road, a planned overhaul will result in changes like a repaired mezzanine, replaced staircases, a fresh paint job to the station interior and better lighting.
61st Street – Woodside station (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
The project is still in its design phase, and a contract is expected to be awarded in spring 2020.
“We are committed to improving service on the entire 7 line as we continue to fine-tune the newly implemented signaling system and moving forward with the renewal of the elevated structure and these 7 line stations,” an MTA spokesperson said.
With many months still to go before contracts are awarded, service changes have yet to be announced along the line as a result of the projects. Both the LIRR and NYCT, however, will coordinate to limit customer impact once the project at the 61st Street station starts.
Design phases for work at the three stations began in 2016, according to the MTA’s capital dashboard tracker.
The three Woodside stations have been a focal point for community leaders and transit activists over the years who have criticized the deteriorating conditions at the stops and the need for upgrades.
