LOWER MANHATTAN — The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel will be partially closed on three consecutive weekends for a reconstruction project to replace old electrical switches and feeder cables, the MTA announced Wednesday.
The $43.5 million renovation will ultimately require 21 weekend-long closures of half the tunnel’s traffic lanes, starting on Nov. 11 and continuing the next two weekends.
During the work, two-way traffic will be maintained in one of the tubes running from Lower Manhattan to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, the MTA noted.
The closures will start at 10 p.m. on Fridays over the course of the project and end at 5 a.m. Monday. After the first three closures — Nov. 11, Nov. 18 and Dec. 2 — the work will proceed on non-consecutive weekends through the end of 2012, according to the MTA.
Drivers should expect delays or use alternate routes during the closures, the agency added.
“Some of the existing switchgear and motor control centers inside the tunnel are more than 60 years old and must be replaced,” said Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel Facility Engineer Romolo DeSantis, in a statement. “In upgrading these components, we will also have greater backup emergency generator capabilities that will help us keep the tunnel well-lighted and safe for customers in the event of a power failure.”
The closures are being done in conjunction with the Department of Transportation to make sure they do not overlap with any closures of the Brooklyn Bridge, the MTA said.
There are currently no planned closures during Thanksgiving weekend or the weekends leading up to the December holidays.
