Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that the L train project is complete.
Although the project is finished, local leaders still want commuters to stay home because of the coronavirus.
Gov. Cuomo said Sunday that the project was slated to be complete in 15 months, but finished just within a year since the start date.
The project was originally planned to be a full shutdown. The MTA says that was what was needed in order to repair damage to the Canarsie tunnel that was sustained during Superstorm Sandy. However, right before the shutdown was about to go into effect Gov. Cuomo stepped in and announced a new plan for a "slowdown" versus an entire shutdown.
He said crews would work on one side of the tunnel at a time and only on nights and weekends, allowing for trains to continue running on a reduced schedule. The MTA at the time said engineers had found a new way to make repairs that would require less aggressive demolition work, which is why they were able to complete it so much faster.
The Riders Alliance says this completion provides major lessons and shows that city agencies can work together and shows the power of the governor has and just what can happen when state and federal government works together.
While the L train is back to normal, the MTA is still running on the essential service schedule.