Riders of the 7 train will have to find a different way to get to and from Manhattan for the next 13 weekends.

Starting just before midnight Friday, construction will knock out weekend service until 5 a.m. Monday between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza.

Crews will be replacing elevated tracks between Court Square and Queensboro Plaza, among other things, and work will also continue on the 7 line extension to the Far West Side.

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and members of the community gathered on Friday morning to protest the suspension.

The suspension is part of a multi-year project intended to bring more reliable and expanded service, but some said it's unreasonable for the MTA to shut it down in the middle of winter.

"You cannot say 'We're going to protect the Mets, we're going to protect the U.S. Open' at the expense of small business owners of the thousands, the tens of thousands of people who live in these communities who are just trying to make ends meet and go to work," Van Bramer said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the work is necessary to modernize and improve the reliability of the 7 line.

Free shuttle buses will be provided, and riders can also take the E, F, N or Q trains.

For more information, go to MTA.info.