ASTORIA — Four Astoria subway stations will close for six months to a year for major renovations, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.
The stations are among 30 citywide to be "completely renewed" in the coming years, renovations that will make them "cleaner, brighter" and easier to navigate, according to Cuomo.
The entire project will take place over the next four years, but the majority of the work will be done in the next two years, the governor said.
In Astoria, four stations along the N/Q line are slated for an overhaul: 30th Avenue, Broadway, 36th Avenue and 39th Avenue. An MTA spokesman said the renovations will be staggered so not all of the stations will close at once, though a specific timeline hasn't been set yet.
The M/R station on Northern Boulevard in Woodside will also be revamped, according to the list.
The news had some Astoria straphangers panicked about losing their local subway station for months at a time.
Alright, so, if I'm reading this right Astoria just won't have subway service anymore? pic.twitter.com/Hp0UzagQ5L
— Robert Kessler (@robertkessler) January 8, 2016
What is your plan for getting everyone from Astoria to work everyday during the subway closures @NYGovCuomo? https://t.co/6JO04bMVWZ
— Taren Smith (@SmithTaren) January 8, 2016
It hasn't been determined yet whether shuttle buses will service riders at closed stations during the renovations, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said.
The MTA says shuttering the stations will allow workers to complete the work much faster. By contrast, closing and working only during the weekends and nighttime could mean renovations could each take as long as three years, according to the agency.
"The intention is to do this necessary work the best way possible, so instead of doing endless rounds of weekend closures, we believe the work can be done faster and at lower cost by doing short full closures," MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said in a statement.
