12/12/06
The Chicago Transit Board approved a construction contract today for the final station construction package of the Brown Line capacity expansion project. A $66.9 million contract was approved for reconstruction of the Paulina, Southport, Wellington and Diversey stations. Chicago-based FHP Tectonics Corporation was selected as the lowest responsive, responsible and DBE-compliant bidder.
?With construction well underway at Belmont, Fullerton, Chicago, Armitage, Sedgwick, Kimball and Francisco, and nearly completed at Kedzie and Rockwell, selecting the contractor for the last station package moves us even closer to the finish line for the capacity expansion project," said CTA President Frank Kruesi. ?The overall project remains on time and on budget and when completed in 2009, CTA customers will reap the benefits of increased capacity along the Brown Line and accessible, state-of-the-art stations."
The contract includes construction of modern stationhouses, extension of platforms, rehabilitation of existing station canopies, new lighting, fare equipment and a state-of-the-art announcement system. Following contract approval, the construction contractor will prepare and submit a construction plan to CTA for approval. CTA will hold a community meeting on a date to be determined to provide further construction details and timelines for the work.
Construction at the Southport and Paulina stations is expected to last approximately 13 months, and approximately 16 months at Diversey and Wellington. All four stations will be subject to temporary closure for 12 months during construction. However, no two adjacent stations will be scheduled to close at the same time on weekdays so customers may go to the next closest station for service. During periods of temporary closure, customers are encouraged to use the most convenient existing CTA bus and rail service in the area.
"We fully appreciate that temporary station closures will cause inconveniences for our customers, but the end result will be providing the communities along this line with efficient service, and accessible and modern stations," said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown.
?In most cases making large-scale infrastructure improvements creates temporary inconveniences for people and businesses, but CTA staff have been and will continue to work with local elected officials, local businesses and community members to keep them informed of plans for station renovation and other pertinent details that will help reduce the impact of construction on their daily lives."
The construction contractor for the Paulina, Southport, Wellington and Diversey stations was selected through a competitive bidding process. In July 2006, a $58.4 million contract was approved for the Addison, Damen, Montrose and Irving Park stations. In September 2005, a $45.5 million contract was approved for the Chicago, Armitage and Sedgwick stations, and a $19.9 million contract was approved for the Kimball, Kedzie, Francisco, Rockwell and Western stations. In June 2005, the Chicago Transit Board approved a $94.3 million contract for the reconstruction of the Belmont and Fullerton stations.
At Clark Junction ? the location where Brown, Purple and Red Line tracks merge just north of the Belmont station ? work is being done to install a new signal system from Armitage to Addison, provide signals for 14 rail crossovers and rehabilitate Clark Tower, which is located at the junction.
As the project continues to move forward, CTA remains committed to staying within the budget and meeting the completion dates required. The project's Full Funding Grant Agreement with the federal government requires that the CTA complete the project by the end of 2009.
The Brown Line capacity expansion project includes: the rehabilitation of 18 Brown Line stations; lengthening station platforms to accommodate eight rather than six-car trains; provide for station enhancements to meet the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and upgrade or replace traction power, signal and communication equipment.
Operating between downtown and the Northwest Side, the Brown Line was originally constructed in two phases, opening for service in 1900 and 1907. The line is the third busiest of CTA's rail lines, serving more than 66,000 customers each weekday, with 19 stations from Kimball on the north to the downtown Chicago Loop.