Straphangers in Brooklyn and Queens are bracing for rush-hour headaches as the MTA prepares to shut down the portion of the G subway line that connects the two boroughs for the next five weeks.
No G trains will run between the Nassau Avenue stop in Greenpoint and Court Square in Long Island City from Friday night until Sept. 2, the MTA says.
Officials say the shutdown is necessary to make repairs to tunnels that were flooded with 3 million gallons of salt water during Sandy. The salt water submerged tracks, power cables and other equipment, leaving behind a corroded mess.
The damage was so severe that repairs couldn't be made during weekends or overnight hours.
“We saw damage on tracks, signals, pump controls, communication rooms,” said MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz. “You name it, we saw some extensive damage.”
The five-week shutdown is likely to be an inconvenience for many of the more than 100,000 riders in Brooklyn and Queens who use the line every day, but residents in Greenpoint will be most affected. The north Brooklyn neighborhood is served exclusively by the G line, and the shutdown will close all of the area's stations.
The MTA is offering alternatives during the shutdown. Shuttle buses will run from Court Square to the Lorimer Street L train stop, and free out-of-system transfers will be offered on the J and M lines in the southern portion of Williamsburg. Get more information here
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The East River Ferry also recently resumed picking up passengers at its dock in Greenpoint following a five-month closure caused by the collapse of passenger walkway in February.
Still, some straphangers say the outage is going to be an inconvenience.
“The way my schedule runs on the train, it’s going to affect me a lot,” said Ryhmel Norris. “I’m going to have to get up half an hour earlier.”
Others say they’re ready to adapt.
“People have to find a way to move around,” said Vicki Sliwowski. “It’s America, It’s New York -- people know how to survive."
