Brooklyn subway riders will face service changes through Nov. 23 as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) replaces aging switches south of Marcy Avenue.
The switches, last replaced in 1997, help trains move between local and express tracks and are critical to service along the J, M and Z lines, according to the MTA.
The work will impact weekday J train service and require shuttle buses to replace regular service between Brooklyn and Manhattan during five weekends.
The changes are scheduled for Oct. 17-18, Oct. 24-25, Nov. 7-9, Nov. 13-16 and Nov. 20-23.
During the impacted weekends, J trains will operate between Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway Saturday from 11:30 p.m. to Sunday 10 p.m.
Shuttle buses will replace regular train service between Myrtle Avenue-Broadway in Brooklyn and Essex Street in Manhattan.
The M train will operate in two separate sections, with trains arriving approximately every 20 minutes:
Between Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues, where riders can connect to the L train.
Between Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway, where riders can connect to the J train.
Regular buses will operate between Myrtle Avenue-Broadway and Essex Street. The L train will continue to operate normally.
From Oct. 13 through Nov. 20, the J train will operate locally between Marcy Avenue and Myrtle Avenue-Broadway from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, except during the week of Oct. 26-30.
The MTA recommends that riders consider the following alternatives:
Travel between Manhattan and Jamaica: Use the A, C or L trains.
Travel to and from Midtown: Use the L train at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues.
Travel along the Jamaica Line to and from Manhattan: Transfer to the A, C or L trains at Broadway Junction.
Travel between Jamaica and Manhattan: Take the E train.
Travel to and from Lower Manhattan: Use the 4, 5 or 6 trains.
Riders can check real-time arrivals and planned service changes through the MTA app. Riders can also sign up for email and text alerts or call 511 for service information.