NYCT gears up to repair two M Line bridges

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) in summer 2017 will partially close the M Line to repair two century-old bridges.

The agency will demolish and rebuild the Myrtle Viaduct, which was built in 1913, as well as the Atlantic Railway Bridge at Fresh Pond River Road, NYCT officials said in a press release.

The reconstruction of these two structures is "critical" to future repair plans for the L line's Canarsie Tunnel, which was severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, NYCT officials said.

In 2019, NYCT plans to shut down the L Line for 18 months to repair the Canarsie Tunnel. When work begins on the tunnel, many L riders are expected to use the M, Z and J lines between Brooklyn and Manhattan, which will require adding service to those lines.

Repairs to the M line infrastructure are required to increase service safely, according to the agency.

To learn about NYCT's other repair and recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy, read this feature from Progressive Railroading's November issue.