Sandy-related subway repairs will plague the 2/3 come spring

Four years after Hurricane Sandy swept through the five boroughs, the city—particularly the MTA—is still dealing with the after-effects. The forthcoming L-pocalypse, for example, is due to Sandy-related repairs, but that won’t begin until 2019. But beginning next spring, service between Brooklyn and Manhattan will be affected on the 2 and 3 trains, thanks to the closure of the Clark St Tube on weekends.

The short version: No trains will run on the 2 and 3 lines between Brooklyn and Manhattan for more than a year, but only on weekends.

The long version: When Sandy hit New York City, the Clark St Tube was among the many subway tunnels that sustained severe damage due to flooding—“damaging tracks, signals, pumping equipment, and electrical and switching equipment,” according to the MTA. Though it’s been running more or less okay since then, the time has come for more extensive repairs to happen.

As it’s said in the past, the MTA believes the best way to do this is to “get in, get it done, get out” (their words, not ours) by shutting down entire sections of the subway to facilitate repairs. This will, in theory, allow the MTA finish the necessary repairs as quickly as possible, even as it makes life more complicated for commuters who rely on those lines.

And when we say complicated, we mean it: Though only a few stations will be directly affected by the changes (basically, three at the southern end of Manhattan, and the first three stops in Brooklyn), it’ll have a ripple effect on the 4/5. The MTA outlines the exact changes here, but suffice to say they’re a bit confusing.

But look on the bright side, 2 and 3 train riders—things could always be worse.

• Sandy-Related Repairs Coming to Clark St 2/3 Tunnel [MTA]