Subway service changes: Track replacements to seriously impact 4/5/6 lines for two August weekends

Subway riders on the 4, 5, and 6 trains will face significant service disruptions over two consecutive weekends this month as the MTA replaces tracks along the heavily-traveled Lexington Avenue line, the agency announced Tuesday.

Service south of Grand Central–42nd Street will be suspended from 11:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, through 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18, and again from Aug. 22 to Aug. 25 as crews work to replace the concrete under switches north of 14th St.

The closures will halt 4 train services between Grand Central–42nd St. and Crown Heights–Utica Avenue or New Lots Avenue. During the impacted hours, the 4 will run local between Woodlawn in the Bronx and Grand Central-42 St.

The 5 train will operate only between Eastchester–Dyre Avenue and East 180th St., while 6 trains will run only between Pelham Bay Park and Grand Central–42nd St.

Average daily ridership on the Lexington Avenue Line is about 1.3 million people per weekday, though subway ridership generally drops on weekends.

Weekend W trains to help get around 4/5/6

To help offset the disruptions, the MTA said it will run special weekend W service for the first time since March 15, operating 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The 42nd Street Shuttle will also run around the clock both weekends, including overnight.

In Manhattan, for service between Grand Central-42 St to Bowling Green, riders can use nearby N, Q, R, W, 2 and 3 stations, with transfers available at Lexington Avenue–59th Street and Times Square–42nd Street.

In Brooklyn, the MTA is encouraging straphangers to use the 2 and 3 lines for alternative service between Borough Hall, Franklin Avenue–Medgar Evers College, and New Lots Avenue, which will be running all weekend, including overnight.

The MTA said the suspensions are part of the it’s effort to keep the subway in good condition and ensure its structural integrity, adding that replacing the concrete helps prevent leaks and corrosion, and extends the life of the system’s infrastructure.

The agency said it will also use the closures to carry out other capital projects along the Lexington line, including accessibility upgrades, communications improvements, under-river tunnel repairs and continued work on the Borough Hall station rehabilitation.

The upcoming planned disruptions come after a week of subway troubles, including two power outages at Manhattan’s West 4th Street station that affected multiple lines.