Work will begin Monday on a new 33rd Street entrance at Penn Station to improve access and decrease congestion.
The first stage of construction will mainly affect the LIRR ticket office areas, the MTA said.
To make room, six LIRR ticket windows will close, four ticket machines will be moved and the large alphabetical departure board above the ticket windows will come down.
The project will focus on improving access via 33rd Street Corridor and 7th Avenue entrance, and includes a new entrance pavilion that will introduce natural light into the station environment, new escalators from street-level, a widened corridor, higher ceilings, new wayfinding signage, information systems and many other amenities.
As construction begins, passengers are encourage to avoid crowds by using MTA eTix and waiting for trains in Penn Station’s West End Concourse near 8th Avenue.
To accommodate customers, ticket agents equipped with hand-held ticket-selling devices will be deployed on high-volume ticket-purchasing days, and digital train and track information displays will be placed in key locations.
The MTA also recommends downloading the LIRR Train Time® app and check the arrival countdown screen, which lists train and track information for Penn Station similar to the departure board.