So, like, guess what? The A train in southwest Queens and the Rockaways is back in action, just in time for summer fun! Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA crew hopped on the train on May 19 for a joy ride after a four-month repair job that shut down the line. The repair work went down between Howard Beach-JFK Airport, Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue, and Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street from Jan. 17 until now.
Resilient to the Core
Over 200 construction peeps worked their magic over 17 weeks to make the train more ready for storms, floods, and climate change, you know? The viaduct and swing bridge connecting the Rockaway Peninsula to Queens got a serious makeover to handle extreme weather better. They had crews working two shifts a day, 10 hours each, to get the job done in time for Memorial Day. Can you imagine pulling that off?
Future Plans, Future Outages
MTA peeps said there are more weekend outages coming up for additional work, including new interlocking infrastructure and a signal tower. The whole project should be good to go by late 2026. One of the big updates is the South Channel Bridge, which got a facelift to be more reliable when it swings open for boats in Jamaica Bay. The 65-year-old bridge caused delays before, but now it’s supposed to be smooth sailing.
