Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Repairs to 168th and 181st Street 1 Stations to Begin in Spring, MTA Says

By Nigel Chiwaya | March 6, 2013 8:56am

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Two crumbling uptown subway stations finally appear to be on track for renovations.

The MTA has received bids to repair the 1 train stations at 168th and 181st Streets and was expected to award a contract this month, MTA spokeswoman Deirdre Parker said.

"The public will start to see physical work being performed approximately two months after the contract is awarded," she said.

The renovations will consist primarily of repairing the brickwork in ceilings of the stations. A section of the 181st Street ceiling famously fell on a passing train in Aug. 2009.

Renovations were originally supposed to begin last spring, however scheduling issues pushed the repairs out past the fall.

The renovations are expected to take about two-and-a-half years to complete.

The renovations do not include plans to increase wheelchair access to the 168th Station, which city Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who had a separate meeting with the MTA, criticized the agency for on Twitter.

Said Rodriguez: "#MTA rep says 181/168 stops will continue reconstruction for 2 1/2 years & will not be putting elevators for access @ 168, yet fares still ^."