MTA could close L train tunnel for years

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - After 80 years the tunnel connecting the L train from Brooklyn to Manhattan is old and beat up. And after Hurricane Sandy came through, it needs help. One option is to shut the train down for up to a year or more for repairs. For some commuters, that would mean finding a new way to work, school.

According to the MTA about 300,000 riders use the L each day.

The MTA told us: "Full closure is something we did successfully on the R train tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan a few years ago. In other cases, we've done Sandy repairs on nights and weekends. So we have to decide which of those options we'll pursue for the L. Once we do, we'll have a better idea when it will be scheduled, but it won't be any time soon."

When the R train faced similar challenges, it lasted 14 months. But ridership on that line is much lower.