By Philip Newman
The MTA plans to shut down parts of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel the next two Sundays for repair work.
Judie Glave, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Department of Bridges and Tunnels, said both lanes of the Manhattan-bound tunnel will be shut down from 1 a.m. Nov. 8 until 5:30 a.m. Nov. 9.
Glave said two-way traffic would be permitted in the remaining tube for cars only during the period.
“Trucks are asked to use either the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge or the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel,” Glave said.
She said detour signs on the Queens side will direct motorists at 50th Avenue to use the 21st Street entrance ramp instead of the 11th Street ramp, which will be closed. Cars using the Queens-bound tube into Manhattan during two-way traffic operation will exit at East 36 Street and Second Avenue or East 37th Street.
The repairs are being done by Restani (DBA) Excellent Paving of Astoria and include removing old concrete and replacing it with fast-setting concrete as well as general pothole repairs, repaving and restoring stripes in lanes inside the tube and on the toll plaza.
The same work will be performed the week of Nov. 15 in the Queens-bound tube of the tunnel. Once again the entire tube will be closed from 1 a.m Nov. 15 through 5:30 a.m. Nov.16.
Motorists driving from Manhattan to Queens can enter the tunnel at 34th Street between Second and Third avenues or at 35th Street between Second and Third avenues. Motorists driving into Manhattan will exit normally at 37th Street and the tunnel exit for uptown and downtown traffic and Third Avenue for uptown vehicles. The 34th Street and Second Avenue ramps will be closed to all Queens-bound traffic.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels operates the RFK, Throgs Neck, Bronx-Whitestone, Henry Hudson, Verrazano-Narrows, Cross Bay Veterans Memorial and Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial bridges and the Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn-Battery tunnels.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 136.
