Weekend Work February 15 - 19, 2013

On the weekend of February 15-19,  line service was suspended between Queensboro Plaza and Times Sq-42 St allowing maintenance workers and contractors to work on critical construction projects.  When completed, these projects will have a positive impact on the service reliability and comfort of this important rail transportation link between Downtown Flushing, Queens and Midtown Manhattan.

Signal System Modernization CBTC, Flushing Line

The contractor continued work associated with the installation of a modern signal system, known as Communications Based Train Control (CBTC).  This project is scheduled for completion in late 2016 on the 9.4-mile Flushing Line.

Activities over the last weekend included negative return cable work between the Times Sq-42 St and Grand Central-42 St stations. Connections were made to ten negative return rails.  From Grand Central-42 St to the First Avenue interlocking, three locations were chopped and one location was patched.  The contractor also installed six serving cables at the First Avenue interlocking.  Ten cases of signal equipment were terminated from Times Sq-42 St to 5 Av, and 110 cable tray brackets and 300 linear feet of support steel was painted.

Capital Track Program

On the Manhattan-bound track, Track Maintenance crews continued with the replacement of track panels outside of the Queensboro Plaza station in the direction of Court Sq.  In addition, the workers completed installation of new cable boxes and new cables at two gap locations. 

Additional Work

This work includes demolishing ducts on both outer walls of the Steinway Tunnel and constructing a new duct bank that will house cables that supplies power to the third rail. 

During the past weekend the contractor demolished 475 linear feet of old duct bank on the Times Sq-42 St-bound track and partially demolished 400 linear feet of old duct bank on the Main St-bound track.  Work in the Steinway Tunnel also included sealing water leaks, installing 600 linear feet of vertical rebar and 1,220 linear feet of steel forms on the Manhattan-bound track.  The contractor used 440 pounds of lead wool to re-caulk leaking cast iron ring joints, pulled out 1,200 feet of old cable from the Manhattan-bound and Queens-bound tracks and pulled in 520 feet of new 2000 MCM cable on the Manhattan-bound track near Vernon Blvd-Jackson Av station.