CTA says this is the largest reconstruction project in its history and is designed to modernise and replace century-old rail structures and stations to improve reliability on the 35.5km Red Line, which links Howard with 95th/Dan Ryan. The Red Line carries more than 200,000 passengers per weekday, representing more than 30% of all CTA rail passengers.

The $US 2.1bn phase one will be implemented by a joint venture between Walsh Construction and Fluor will be completed in 2025. The project includes three main elements:

  • construction of the new Red Purple bypass to relieve congestion at a 100-year-old junction where Red, Purple and Brown line trains currently intersect with completion expected by the end of 2021, followed by the reconstruction of Red and Purple line track structure between Belmont and Newport/Cornelia for completion by the end of 2024
  • reconstruction of four Red Line stations into larger, 100% accessible stations and replacement of 9.7 track-km of track structure that is nearly a century old with work scheduled to begin in late 2020-early 2021 and completed by the end of 2024, and
  • installation of a new signalling system on 37 track-km between Howard and Belmont.

“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,” Carter says.