![\"train](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761599710_162_queens-train-station-lennon-102325.jpg\" "\\"Rail")
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7 train station under construction. <\/p>\n
Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon<\/p>\n
Commuters on one of NYC\u2019s most traveled subways are facing a two-year delay on repair work<\/a>, MTA officials said during a monthly committee meeting on Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n The setback is due to the discovery of severe, unforeseen deterioration of steel supports \u2014 also known as girders \u2014 that hold up the 7 train tracks and platforms above Roosevelt Avenue at the 61st Street station in Woodside, Queens.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other stations, including 69th Street and 52nd Street, are part of the construction project, which was initially slated for completion in May 2025. The work is not expected to be completed until May 2027.<\/p>\n Due to the unexpected circumstances, the\u00a0MTA<\/a> must now spend an additional $30 million in costs to address the issue; a revised estimate for the full Flushing Line rehab project is now $343 million, up from the original $315 million price tag.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur initial plan was straightforward,\u201d Bill Montanile of the MTA\u2019s Stations Business Unit\u00a0said. \u201cReplace the track and platform, replace select steel elements, and repair the majority of the existing structure. However, once concrete demolition began, the situation changed dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n Hidden beneath the track slabs, workers found \u201csignificant corrosion\u201d on cross girders, damage that had remained concealed for years. They also discovered extension decay in 23 of the 31 girders.\u00a0<\/p>\n Similar deterioration was also seen on the track girders.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis discovery made it clear,\u201d Montanile said. \u201cFull replacement, not partial repair, was now essential to ensure the safety and integrity of the structure.\u201d<\/p>\n 7 train station has been rotting for years<\/p>\n Despite the MTA\u2019s statements Monday, the problems at Woodside-61st Street are nothing new. In 2019, QNS, now a sister site of amNewYork, reported on extensive rusting, peeling lead paint and deterioration at the transit hub<\/a>. The report came on the heels of several incidents in which debris fell off the 7 line and struck vehicles below on Roosevelt Avenue.<\/p>\n MTA crews came in to shore up the tracks at the time to prevent further falling debris. Yet, as Monday\u2019s announcements seemed to confirm, the rust and rot observed six years ago were only a harbinger of even worse problems at the station.<\/p>\n So far, the 61st Street station rehabilitation project is only about 47% complete, according to the MTA. Temporary fixtures have been installed to permit ongoing work without significantly impacting train traffic, commuters and the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"people](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/train-lennon-102725.jpg\" "\\"Rail")
A line forms at a 7 train elevator in Queens during rush hour on Oct. 27, 2025.Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon