New York City Transit begins storm damage repairs on Montague Tubes

Today, MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) will begin 14 months of "Fix & Fortify" work on the "R" Montague Tubes to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

The repairs are part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) most extensive and wide-ranging reconstruction effort in its history after the October 2012 storm decimated New York City's subway system, NYCT officials said in a press release.

Fix & Fortify is designed to restore and rebuild damaged infrastructure while reducing the subway system's vulnerability to potential damage from future storms, they said.

In total, MTA has allocated nearly $3.8 billion in funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for "repair, resiliency and disaster relief" for NYCT, Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road and other MTA divisions. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also has allocated $3 million for MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

"This vital work on the Montague Tubes is necessary to make permanent repairs to the tunnel and ensure safe and reliable service for thousands of daily commuters between Brooklyn and Manhattan," FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff said in a prepared statement.

The Montague Tubes work — estimated to cost $308.6 million — amounts to a near rebuilding of the link that connects downtown Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan, NYCT officials said. The work will be completed under two contracts: one to repair all right-of-way components except signals and one to repair signal equipment.

Work under both contracts will occur while the tube is shut down for 14 months.