Construction Begins on CTA’s Largest Reconstruction Project in History

CHICAGO—Construction has begun on the $2.1-billion phase one of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red and Purple Modernization Project here—the largest reconstruction project in the agency’s history.

CTA’s RPM Phase One project is designed to modernize and replace century-old rail structures and stations, effectively improving the reliability, comfort and convenience of CTA service for decades to come. A groundbreaking ceremony was held earlier this week on the latest project to modernize the Red Line, the CTA’s busiest line that serves more than 30% of all CTA rail customers.

“Today is a historic day for Chicago transit as we begin the largest project in CTA history to modernize CTA rail service for the next century and rebuild the Red Line, the CTA’s busiest line,” said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “Public transit is the great connector of our city and with this monumental project, we are building on our obligation to ensure Chicago’s transportation network is accessible, reliable and affordable for all residents of this city so that our neighborhoods and communities are connected to jobs, education and opportunity.”

All RPM Phase One work will be completed in 2025. CTA is beginning construction on the new Red-Purple Bypass to unclog a 100-year-old junction where Red, Purple and Brown Line trains currently intersect, city officials note. A major component of RPM phase one, the bypass construction will also rebuild four Red Line stations and century-old rail structure between the Lawrence and Bryn Mawr Red Line stations.

“CTA customers will see a significant improvement in service with increased accessibility to rail service, less crowding on trains and rail platforms and shorter commute times,” said CTA president Dorval Carter. “The benefits of this project extend beyond riders of the Red Line to Chicago’s neighborhoods and small businesses across the city through training, job and contract opportunities that will be a model for future CTA projects like the Red Line Extension.”

The project, which involves rebuilding all Red and Purple Line track structures and stations from Belmont to Linden in Wilmette, includes three major components:

• New Red-Purple Bypass construction (expected completion by the end of 2021), followed by the reconstruction of Red and Purple line track structure between Belmont and Newport/Cornelia (expected completion by the end of 2024).

• Reconstruction of the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr Red Line stations into larger, 100% accessible stations and replacement of track structure totaling six track-miles that is nearly a century old. Major track and station reconstruction will begin in late 2020-early 2021 and are expected to be substantially completed by the end of 2024.

• Installation of a new signal system on 23 track miles between Howard and Belmont that, similar to roadway traffic signals, will improve train flow and service reliability.

This fall, CTA’s contractor, Walsh-Fluor Design-Build Team, will begin constructing new track structure foundations in the Lakeview community for the bypass bridge that will allow Kimball-bound (northbound) Brown Line trains to cross over north- and southbound Red and Purple Line tracks just north of Belmont station. This will replace the current Clark Junction, built-in 1907 to connect what was then the Ravenswood Line (today called the Brown Line) to the Red and Purple lines, which began rail service in 1900, city officials state.

The project will be an economic engine for development for neighborhoods in the project corridor and throughout the City of Chicago. RPM has already created 1,400 jobs and is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs annually.

CTA’s Red Line provides more than 200,000 rides on average each weekday and more than 70 million rides a year, serving some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the nation.