The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced it will hold three open house meetings in April to introduce the Red Line Extension (RLE) contractor to the public and provide an overview of the construction plan for the new Red Line. The contractor is currently designing the project and developing the construction schedule with major groundbreaking expected to begin in early 2026.
The $5.7 million RLE project will extend the CTA’s Red Line 5.5 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street, including building four new Red Line Stations. The RLE is a transformational South Side project that will improve access to rapid rail transit and provide faster, more convenient service to residents. Extending service will also improve access to jobs, educational and health care institutions and promote economic development.
The meetings will allow the public to hear from the RLE contracting team, Walsh VINCI Transit Community Partners, about how the new Red Line stations and track structure will be built and what the community can expect during construction.
There will be three meetings for residents in each ward that will benefit from a new Red Line station.
Meet the Contractor Open House Meeting Schedule
Individuals can register for any of the meetings by using this link.
Tuesday, April 8
Carter G. Woodson Library
9525 S. Halsted St.
6 p.m.– 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 10
St. John’s MB Church
211 E. 115th St.
6 p.m.– 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 15
Altgeld Gardens
Community Youth Center Building
951 E. 132nd St.
6 p.m.– 7:30 p.m.
Red Line Extension Project Overview
The RLE project will:
- Build a 5.5-mile extension of the Red Line starting at 95th Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street.
- Include four new accessible stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue (near 116th), and 130th Street, each of which would include bus, bike, pedestrian and parking facilities.
- Build a new rail yard and related rail facilities to improve operational efficiency for the entire Red Line and CTA system.
The Red Line Extension Project will provide a new, more direct connection to the Red Line – this means an easier trip and less time commuting. Once the extension opens, it is expected to provide up to 30 minutes time savings to riders traveling from the future 130th Station.
CTA awarded a contract in 2024 to Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners to design and build the RLE project. The new extension and stations are expected to be completed and in service in 2030.
Preliminary project renderings can be found here. For more information about the Red Line Extension Project, visit transitchicago.com/rle.
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