HUNTERS POINT — There will be no 7 train service in most of Long Island City and all of Manhattan during eight weekends in 2017, as the MTA continues work along the route, officials announced.
The shutdowns — which will kick off this weekend — will mean suspended service between the Queensboro Plaza and 34th Street-Hudson Yards stations from 11:30 p.m. on Fridays to 5 a.m. on Mondays, the MTA announced.
Affected weekends include March 3-6, March 10-13, March 24-27, Oct. 20-23, Oct. 27-30, Nov. 10-13 and Nov. 17-20, according to the MTA, which noted the schedule could change depending on the weather.
The disruptions are nothing new to residents of Hunters Point and Court Square, who have endured shutdowns on the line for years.
Residents and business owners have held protests about the spotty service, and the MTA even agreed to run ads in 2014 promoting Long Island City to help offset the impact weekend cuts have on the number of visitors to the area.
The MTA says the suspensions are needed to make upgrades and repairs along the line, including the replacement of old track panels.
Workers are also installing a new signal system that will allow trains to run more frequently, a project that's expected to wrap up later this year, according to MTA Spokesman Kevin Ortiz.
Free shuttle buses will run between Queensboro Plaza, Queens Plaza, Court Square, Hunters Point Avenue and Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue stations during each of the impacted weekends, the MTA says.
For more information and scheduling updates, visit the MTA's website.
