Seven Coney Island-bound N train platforms to close for more than a year as of July 31

Work at nine stations on the N line will soon start, and is sure to cause commuter frustration for upwards of a year.

According to the MTA, beginning 5 a.m. on Monday, July 31, the Coney Island-bound platforms at seven N stations in Brooklyn will be closed until late 2018 for the final phase of a major, nearly-$400 billion renovation project to modernize the century-old stations and upgrade track infrastructure along the corridor.

During the renovations, southbound N trains will run express from Eighth Avenue to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue at all hours, making just three stops at Eighth Avenue, Bay Parkway and Coney. The Eighth Avenue and Bay Parkway stations, though also a part of the overhaul, will continue to provide southbound service via temporary platforms on the middle track.

For southbound service to any of the shuttered stations – Fort Hamilton Parkway, New Utrecht Avenue, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Kings Highway, Avenue U and 86th Street – commuters are encouraged to transfer to northbound trains at either of the three operating stations. Riders are also encouraged to use nearby stations on the D and F lines.

According to the MTA, the nine stations – which serve over 50,000 weekday customers – will be getting new accessibility-compliant platforms, brighter lighting, new stairs and new paint. Some platforms will also see new canopies with architectural finishes, while all will feature new artwork at the end of renovations.

“The Sea Beach corridor opened over 100 years ago and needs to be brought into a state of good repair while adding new amenities and technology to improve our customers’ experience,” MTA Interim Executive Director Ronnie Hakim said.  “When the work is finished at all nine stations and the tracks that connect them, our customers will see brighter, cleaner and safer stations and experience a smoother, more reliable ride, while our mobility-impaired customers will be able to access that part of the Sea Beach line by using new ramps and new elevators.”

In addition, two ADA-compliant ramps will be added to the Eighth Avenue Station, and four elevators will be installed inside the New Utrecht Avenue Station to ease transfers between the D and N lines. Other renovations include improved platforms and overpasses, new stairways and handrails, repairs to canopies and columns, enhanced safety features and upgraded communication systems.

The nine-station project – which was rolled out in two phases so to cause the least inconvenience, according to the MTA – is expected to be completed in late 2018. Work on the Manhattan-bound platforms began in January 2016, with those renovated platforms reopened to service in late May.

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