DOWNTOWN — The main entrance to the Whitehall St.-South Ferry 1 and R train station will be closed for nine months to allow the MTA to complete $193.8 million in repairs of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.
The station entrance will be closed from Nov. 2 until August 2016 as the agency continues its repair work and adds new features to prevent future flooding, the MTA said.
Hurricane Sandy sent 15 million gallons of salt water into the new South Ferry station, flooding it from track level to the mezzanine and destroying all electrical and mechanical systems and components, the MTA said.
The 31-month project to fix the station includes replacement of track and other damaged equipment, installing permanent watertight doors at street level, adding flood barrier walls between the South Ferry Loop and Whitehall Street stations and other measures to mitigate flooding inside, the MTA said.
During the nine-month closure, riders will still be able to access the station through the Staten Island Ferry terminal or at the Whitehall Street entrance, the MTA said.
