A New York subway tunnel that was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy will be closed for 18 months starting January 2019 for repairs, shutting down of one of the system's most crowded lines, officials said Monday.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced the decision to close the East River's Canarsie Tube completely for a year and a half, instead of a partial shutdown that would have lasted for three years.
The L train, which runs from Manhattan through popular Brooklyn neighborhoods, will see all service through the tunnel and on the Manhattan portion shut down. Trains will continue to run in Brooklyn only.
In 2012, Sandy flooded seven miles of the tube, damaging tracks, signals, signal cables, lighting, switches and more.
The MTA said the shutdown would allow it to make improvements to stations, including new stairs and elevators at a station in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan. Three new electrical substations will also be added, which the MTA said would allow it to operate more trains.
