NYCT Fix & Fortify tackles Montague Tubes work

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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MTA New York City Transit / Marc A. Hermann

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit will commence Fix & Fortify work to the Montague Tubes August 2 and will continue during the weekends for 14 months.

 

Funding for Fix & Fortify has been secured through the efforts of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The project is designed to restore and rebuild damaged infrastructure due to Hurricane Sandy, while reducing the subway system’s vulnerability in the event of future severe weather events.

Overall, the MTA has been allocated nearly $3.8 billion in funding from the FTA for repair, resiliency and disaster relief work for New York City Transit, Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road and other MTA divisions. FEMA has also allocated $3 million for MTA Bridges and Tunnels.

“The job that we have ahead of us is an enormous challenge and we are grateful for the support that we have received from Governor Cuomo and the federal government in securing the funds necessary to perform these vital tasks,” said Thomas Prendergast, chairman and CEO of the MTA. “These investments in repairing and reinforcing the system’s infrastructure will help safeguard the most vulnerable areas of our subway system for decades to come.”

The scope of work for the Montague Tubes is extensive, amounting to a near rebuilding of the link, which connects downtown Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan. The work will be completed in two contracts. The first, repair of all right-of-way components except signals. The second, repair of signal equipment. Work for both contracts will occur while the tube is shut down for a period of 14 months. Work on the Montague Tubes is estimated to cost $308.6 million in total, with $220.6 million invested in the right-of-way component repairs.

The right-of-way component repairs inside the Montague Tubes include significant work to tracks, tunnel lighting, circuit breaker houses, power substations, pump rooms, fan plant, power cable and ducts. The estimated cost for signal repairs and modification is $39.6 million. This work includes the modification of signal circuits at three nearby stations, Whitehall Street and Broad Street in Manhattan, as well as Brooklyn’s Court Street Station, to allow for their temporary conversion into terminal stations in order to support train operation during the tube’s shutdown. Signal repair work in the tubes will see the replacement of damaged signal components.

Tunnel lighting is being renewed and improved along approximately 1.8 miles of track. The new lighting will conform to the latest Federal and Transit Lighting Standards and will also include the installation of a four-hour battery back-up system.

The Montague and Greenpoint Tubes will also benefit from duct bank and cable replacement, including the cleaning of ducts and the replacement of power and communication cables. The opportunity will be taken to remove some signal system components outside the flood zones within the tubes.

 

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