Rebuilding the Culver Viaduct

For nearly 80 years, the Culver Viaduct has stood as part of the Brooklyn skyline, a high-arched link between midtown Manhattan the Stillwell Avenue Terminal in Coney Island. Spanning the Gowanus Canal, the structure supports four tracks, two subway lines and two stations, including the Smith and Ninth Street stop which, at a height of 87.5 feet, is the highest subway station in the world. This impressive structure is currently undergoing a four-year reconstruction.

The concrete-encased steel structure is approximately one-mile long, connecting the Carroll Gardens and Park Slope neighborhoods. Built as part of the IND subway system, the viaduct carries F and G trains serving tens of thousands of subway customers each day. A major project, started nearly a year ago, is currently underway to rehabilitate the aging structure. The work is necessary to improve poor track drainage which had caused severe deterioration to the structure's concrete sheathing. Passersby could not help but notice the netting which was wrapped around the structure to prevent the concrete pieces from falling to the sidewalks and roadway below.

Among the challenges facing MTA New York City Transit is how to keep this vital link open to train service while the work is done. While some weekend closures have been necessary, particularly when heavy materials and equipment is moved, most of the time service has run normally. In fact, Culver Line customers have even benefitted from the temporary extension of the G Line to a new southern terminal at Church Avenue. This upcoming phase, however, will necessitate some partial station closures.

Phase two of this major reconstruction project begins Monday, January 17th. The four-year project was awarded in March, 2009 and is scheduled for completion in February 2013. During this upcoming phase, the northbound local tracks are being removed from service for 10 months. As a result, from January through May, there will be no northbound F or G service at 15th Street-Prospect Park and Ft. Hamilton Parkway. Customers will have to take southbound trains to Church Avenue and then change for northbound service. In addition, there is no Manhattan-bound F service at Smith-9th Street and Queens-bound G trains will stop at a temporary platform.

The $275.5 million top-to-bottom project includes replacing all four tracks with new, low vibration track; repairing and waterproofing the concrete deck that supports the tracks, and installing all-new track drains.  Upgrades and improvements will also be made to signals, power work and communications. Two diamond crossover track switches and turnouts will also be replaced.

As work progresses customers should visit www.mta.info for "Current Service Changes" and "Planned Service Changes." Customers may use tripplanner.mta.info to plan their rides, subscribe to our free email or text message alerts at www.mta.info or call travel information at 718-330-1234 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. There will be posters and announcements in the system.