Since September, MTA crews have been rebuilding the 100-plus-years-old Myrtle Viaduct on the M train line, which has caused service disruptions for many city straphangers.
But the $163 million project comes to an end Monday when service on the M train will be fully restored as promised, the MTA announced Friday.
“Completing this project on time and on budget was critical to show how serious we are about minimizing impacts on our customers as we perform this important work,” MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said in a statement. “This is a major win for our customers and the surrounding community. We promised to modernize and stabilize the subway system, and we thank our customers for their continued patience as we take the necessary steps to do so.”
The months-long work on the deteriorating Myrtle Viaduct, which was built in 1913 to carry trains between Myrtle Avenue and Central Avenue and is critical for 60,000 weekday riders, included completely demolishing it and building a brand-new structure.
The work followed Phase I, which involved the demolition and reconstruction of the M train’s Fresh Pond Bridge that took place last July.
With Monday’s restoration of M train service on the Myrtle Viaduct, riders will be able to access the full M line and connect to J and Z trains, both of which will be critical alternatives for straphangers who will travel between Manhattan and Brooklyn during the 15-month L train shutdown slated to begin in April 2019.
“It is imperative that M train service operates as efficiently as possible for all our customers who rely on it,” NYC Transit President Andy Byford said. “When we couple the long-term fortification work on this line with the smoother ride and quieter tracks, we can be sure we’re on our way to building the world-class transit system we’ve pledged to deliver.”
Watch a time-lapse video of the Myrtle Viaduct reconstruction below:
