Subway track work on 7 line means weeks of commuting headaches

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - If you ride the 7 train, get ready for a new round of headaches. Portions of the subway line will be closed on nights and weekends throughout January and February.

Late-night service and weekend service between Queens and Manhattan will be suspended. Shuttle buses will operate from Queensboro Plaza to Vernon Blvd.-Jackson Av. in Queens and from Times Square to 34th St.-Hudson Yards in Manhattan.

The MTA announced the closures on Dec. 21. They come after years of service changes because of ongoing signal system upgrades that were finally completed in December. During that work, the MTA discovered that a 2,000-foot section of track near Grand Central needs to be replaced.

"While the track is safe for current use, its repair is essential for future reliability and safety," the MTA said in a press release. "Replacing this section of track requires chipping out existing concrete, the installation of a temporary track structure, and the pouring of new concrete."

So why couldn't they just do the repairs all together?

"This is work that could not have been completed while we were installing the new signal system and it is absolutely critical it be completed soon," New York City Transit President Andy Byford said in a statement.

Work will take place during the following weeknights from 11:45 p.m. to 5 a.m.:

January 2–4
January 7–11
January 14–18
January 21–25
January 28–February 1
February 4–8

Work will occur during the following weekends from 12:15 a.m. Saturday to 4:30 a.m. Monday:

January 5–7
January 12–14
January 19–21
January 26–28