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Final Phase of M Line Overpass Reconstruction Begins September 2


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...The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that the reconstruction of the Fresh Pond Bridge on the m.png line will be successfully completed on September 1 as scheduled. This will conclude the first phase of a crucial $163 million project to replace two deteriorating m.png line overpasses, the completion of which will ensure safe and reliable service for thousands of customers in Brooklyn and Queens. During Phase 1, the MTA successfully rebuilt the century-old Fresh Pond Bridge using modern building materials that will ensure the safe operation of trains over the bridge for decades to come. This bridge is vital to m.png service, carrying trains to its Queens terminus and providing access to subway car storage yards. Completion of the first phase of this project will allow the restoration of train service to four stations on the Myrtle Avenue line in Queens.

 

Phase 2 work on the elevated tracks atop the Myrtle Viaduct will begin on Saturday, September 2. This century-old, 310-foot-long concrete structure connects the m.png with the j.pngz.png lines and has been in daily, non-stop use since it was built in 1913. The aging concrete deck has deteriorated after decades of heavy use and exposure to inclement weather, and must be replaced along with the tracks and other infrastructure.

 

The reconstruction of the Myrtle Viaduct, which is located between the Myrtle Av j.pngm.pngz.png and Central Av m.pngstations, involves building a concrete deck structure and safety walkways and installing new third rail, low-vibration tracks, new steel columns, new foundations, and new drainage.  The work requires a full suspension of train service on the overpass to allow for its complete demolition and to provide unfettered access for workers. The work is expected to take eight months, ending in spring 2018. Once the demolition and reconstruction are completed, customers who use the m.png trains or live near the track structure will notice a smoother rider and quieter track operations thanks to the new rails and infrastructure.

 

During the final phase of the Myrtle Viaduct reconstruction, m.png service operates in two sections: as local weekday service between Broadway Junction and Forest Hills-71 Av, and as a shuttle train service making all station stops between the Middle Village-Metropolitan Av terminus and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs l.pngm.png. The shuttle train will serve Metropolitan Av, Fresh Pond Rd, Forest Av, Seneca Av and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs, running every 10 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes during overnight hours. At Myrtle-Wyckoff Avs, shuttle train customers can switch to the l.png line or free shuttle buses for service to the Myrtle Av j.pngm.pngz.png station.

http://www.mta.info/news/2017/08/18/final-phase-m-line-overpass-reconstruction-begins-september-2

 

I'll be interested to see if they chose to create special route stickers for the shuttle service since the R42's lack the  (M).

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http://www.mta.info/news/2017/08/18/final-phase-m-line-overpass-reconstruction-begins-september-2

 

I'll be interested to see if they chose to create special route stickers for the shuttle service since the R42's lack the (M).

What doesn't make sense to me is that why won't the MTA use the upper level as a flying junction for northbound trains without demolishing the upper level??? If this was done, then Metropolitan bound (M) trains won't cross in front of Manhattan bound (J) trains, this should have been thought of years ago when the Myrtle Avenue EL was torn down south of Broadway

 

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http://www.mta.info/news/2017/08/18/final-phase-m-line-overpass-reconstruction-begins-september-2

 

I'll be interested to see if they chose to create special route stickers for the shuttle service since the R42's lack the (M).

They would probably just sign the trains up as shuttle.

 

What doesn't make sense to me is that why won't the MTA use the upper level as a flying junction for northbound trains without demolishing the upper level??? If this was done, then Metropolitan bound (M) trains won't cross in front of Manhattan bound (J) trains, this should have been thought of years ago when the Myrtle Avenue EL was torn down south of Broadway

 

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Then how else would trains reach the station?

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Criss-crossing with the "(J)" isn't just the only problem here. The other problem is that the curve connecting to the Myrtle Av line is a sharp 90 degree turn which can effectively slow down trains. Adding a connection via Lewis would only be another 90 degree curve and would also slow down trains. The only way to eliminate the bottleneck is to demolish the upper level at Myrtle and widen the tracks so that the "(M)" could rise at a flying junction and a new upper level would be built . The tracks would then connect to the Myrtle Av line.

True, but that would be more expensive and even though that is the BEST and most beneficial idea to fix the Myrtle Avenue problem, I highly doubt that the MTA will do that anytime soon

 

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Your Lewis Av connection won't even be completed before the Myrtle Av line fully reopens. Building such a connection is just a waste of money. And your connection won't even happen soon either...

True

 

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Your Lewis Av connection won't even be completed before the Myrtle Av line fully reopens. Building such a connection is just a waste of money. And your connection won't even happen soon either...

Well, something needs to be adressed soon.

 

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Phase 2 work on the elevated tracks atop the Myrtle Viaduct will begin on Saturday, September 2. 

I had noticed they hadn't even started working on the viaduct yet. Why are they waiting to finish one before starting the other? The viaduct is not supposed to be a second phase; it was a separate project that would take longer than the bridge, so I thought they would start together, and the bridge would simply be finished first, not one following the other.

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Why would my idea be idiotic? Sure, both will be expensive but I feel the cost would be worth it as it eliminates the bottleneck causing "(J) "(Z)" and "(M)" trains to wait in the station.

 

Yeah, and it also eliminates the (M) stopping at Myrtle-Broadway, in the first place! They'll never do that. 

 

The whole point of the sharp 90 degree turn is that it's the only way to allow the (M) to stop there...

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I said in my proposal that a new upper level would be built and the current one would be demolished to allow the "(M)" to stop there. The Lewis Av option is also a 90 degree turn and will indeed allow "(M)" trains to stop there as it reuses Myrtle upper level, so maybe that would be more feasible.

Both ideas refer to Vanshnookenraggen's post if anyone noticed

 

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http://www.mta.info/news/2017/08/18/final-phase-m-line-overpass-reconstruction-begins-september-2

 

I'll be interested to see if they chose to create special route stickers for the shuttle service since the R42's lack the (M).

The R42's will be retired by the time the (M) shuttle has been halfway through the life span if it's service

 

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I said in my proposal that a new upper level would be built and the current one would be demolished to allow the "(M)" to stop there. The Lewis Av option is also a 90 degree turn and will indeed allow "(M)" trains to stop there as it reuses Myrtle upper level, so maybe that would be more feasible.

So you wanna remove a 90 degree turn just to move it somewhere else for the sake of it stopping on the upper level...ok, I'll bite...

 

There's absolutely no room along Broadway for a flying junction. You would have to widen the track area just to for 2 additional tracks, when there's already barely enough room for the 3 tracks there.

 

You would eliminate the cross platform connection with the (J) and (M).

 

The upper level platform houses a tower. Gotta find somewhere else to put it.

 

I hardly doubt the upper level as-is would even be structurally sound enough to have trains run on it without a heavy rebuild.

 

All in all, your plan would cost a whole lot more and cause a whole lot more disruptions for a marginal (and I'm being generous here) gain.

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They've been doing track replacement on the Myrtle El all summer. I've seen work trains on the line several times in the past six weeks. 

It seemed like that track replacements were before the shutdown, which also didn't seem to make sense. (But I was told that it was so the work trains could access the area).

Btu still, the tie bumpers and blocks on the switch are already in place, so it doesn't look like the viaduct was still being used for work trains to pass.

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