The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has announced plans for the final stage of its modernisation project, including replacing centuries-old stations on the Red Line.
New stations at Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr will be constructed to ensure the stations are fully accessible.
Part of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr modernisation project and the $2.1bn Red and Purple Modernisation (RPM) Phase One project, the upcoming works will begin in the coming months and include the rebuilding of the southbound Red and Purple line tracks.
CTA president Dorval R. Carter Jr said: “We continue to work hard to improve the Red Line, from rebuilding century-old infrastructure to extending the Red Line on the far south side to expand access to transit
“The RPM project is an important part of our commitment to making the entire CTA rail system fully accessible. I look forward to opening the new Red Line stations with elevators and escalators for our customers.”
Work on the southbound lines will start after the completion of the RPM Phase One project’s Stage A, which saw the reconstruction of the northbound Red and Purple line tracks, leading to the express trains on both lines to share the tracks that will now be free to be worked on in Stage B.
The Stage B works, which are scheduled to finish in 2025, will cover the 1.3-mile segment of tracks and deteriorating structures between Leland and Ardmore Avenues in Chicago.
As the works will see stations and tracks closed along the CTA’s network, multiple service changes and temporary stations will come into action, detailed on the CTA’s website.
Work on the Red Line stations follows a funding grant from the US Federal Transit Administration to the CTA last year to work on the Irving Park, Belmont and Pulaski stations as part of the All Stations Accessibility Programme.
Modernisation of rail systems has been a significant focus for local authorities and the US Department of Transportation (DoT) in recent years as they look to upgrade infrastructure that is often over a century old.
Last year, the DoT allocated over $233m to projects for the Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Programme, including $3m towards improving Chicago Union Station.
