Those of you living or working along the L train in Brooklyn, can take a sigh of relief, because the looming “L-pocalypse” won’t be happening on April 27 after all. Yup: That means you won’t have to move into a different neighborhood or spend your Sunday brunches complaining about the shutdown with your friends. What a relief, am I right?
The shocking news came on Thursday, Jan. 3, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo made an unforeseen announcement to address the change of plans. He said that MTA engineers would be using new technology imported from Europe to help repair the damaged Canarsie Tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan. This, in return, means that the entire line won’t have to be closed for the anticipated 15 months.
“It uses many new innovations that are frankly new to the rail industry in this country,” said Cuomo. “With this design, it would not be necessary to close the L train tunnel at all, which would be a phenomenal benefit to the people of New York City.”
Don’t get your hopes up too high, though. Just because the L train won’t be shutting down for good, it’ll still be undergoing its repair process this spring. According to The New York Times, construction will probably begin in April 2019 (as expected). However, as Cuomo stated, the tunnels won’t have to shut down. Instead, the L train will run normally during weekdays — but only one of the tunnel’s tubes will be open at night and on the weekends.
While only one of the tubes is in service, the waiting period between each train will range from 15 to 20 minutes, per ABC 7 Eyewitness News. With that being said, it’d probably be wise to leave some extra time for commuting if you’re relying on the L train at night or on the weekends.
Now, you’re probably wondering how long this “innovative” construction is going to last. According to ABC 7, the entire process should take about 15 to 20 months. Sure, that seems like a long time, but look at the bright side: The L train will be running throughout the process, and you won’t have to opt for crowded commuter busses or early morning bike rides.
Cover image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.