New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) leaders today welcomed back Rockaway subway riders as  A and S  service resumed to the Rockaway Peninsula after the line underwent critical resiliency and rehabilitation work.  The Rockaway Line, which carries the A and S   trains, is the critical connection between the Rockaway peninsula and the rest of New York City, serving nearly 12,500 Rockaway riders daily and connecting a diverse population of almost 125,000 residents. The project, which continues, is on time and under budget.

MTA Construction & Development carried out a complete reconstruction of Hammels Wye, an elevated structure that all trains must cross to reach the peninsula. The South Channel Bridge, which must swing open to allow for marine traffic to cross Jamaica Bay, also underwent an overhaul to update its aging electrical and mechanical components which previously were often the source of significant delays in train service. Both structures are more than 65 years old, and their completed overhaul ensures Rockaway residents can continue to depend on reliable service on the A  line for decades to come.

Following extensive damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, emergency work to repair the Rockaway Line was completed in subsequent months. However, many components of the critical line are over 65 years old and required extensive overhauls to weather the effects of increasingly intense storms, flooding, and climate change. The viaduct and bridge connecting the Rockaway Peninsula with the rest of Queens needed comprehensive rehabilitation and repair work to ensure these structures withstand future extreme weather events, which required a 17-week 24/7 shutdown this winter. Through two 10 hour shifts, 200 construction workers worked 20 hours a day on both weekdays and weekends to complete this portion of the project on time.

Additional work on the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation Project, including structural repairs, new interlocking infrastructure, and a new signal tower will take place during future weekend outages. The entire project is expected to be complete by late 2026.

-via Press Release