MTA to Repair Myrtle Viaduct, Atlantic Railway Bridge

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will be implementing service changes on the Canarsie Line for June 2017 as the authority plans repairs of two century-old structures, the Myrtle Viaduct and the Atlantic Railway Bridge. The addition of 50 roundtrips on the Canarsie line is part of a package of service changes slated for the summer in preparation for the partial closure of the M line.

"Our subway system turned 112 this year, and it never gets a break,” said NYC Transit President Ronnie Hakim. “In order to keep up with demand, we must work now to shore up our infrastructure so trains can keep running for another hundred years.”

“Adding more trips helps get our customers where they need to be faster, but we also must balance that extra strain on our equipment and fleet with a robust maintenance program and an eye on investing in our future," added Hakim.

Starting next summer, the MTA will demolish and rebuild the Myrtle Viaduct, which was built in 1913, and the Atlantic Railway Bridge at Fresh Pond Road. The reconstruction of these two structures is critical to the repair plans for the Canarsie Tunnel, which was flooded during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.