Stations to receive a face-lift until rail line’s long-term plans are determined
The Chicago Transit Board today approved the awarding of a design/build contract to Kiewit Infrastructure Co. to rehabilitate the following seven rail stations on the North Main Line branch of the Red Line: Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle and Lawrence.
The work will provide a life-extension for the seven stations until a long-term capital improvement plan is determined for this portion of the Red Line. Project work will include: viaduct repairs, platform repairs or replacement, station water proofing, lighting improvements and new station house finishes.
“CTA rail stations are a gateway to the surrounding community. These interim improvements are important because we cannot postpone repairs which need our immediate attention. The CTA wants to be good stewards of the infrastructure we have now, as we continue to plan for the future and pursue additional funding,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool. “This contract will allow us to quickly address some much needed capital maintenance work, while also improving the quality and experience for our riders and neighbors.”
The rehabilitation of the seven rail stations is not part of the Red & Purple Modernization Project (RPM), which is currently in the early stages of planning and will require several more years of planning and identified sources of funding.
Kiewit Infrastructure Co. was awarded the contract to through a competitive bid process. Design work is expected to begin in the next few weeks. Per the terms of the contract, construction is expected to conclude in early-2013 and is not to exceed $57.4 million for services, labor and materials.
Specific scheduling details will be determined over the next few weeks and CTA will coordinate a significant public outreach effort to inform customers and communities of any changes to service. Construction plans do include temporary station closures anticipated to be no more than six weeks. Adjacent stations will not be closed simultaneously. To minimize impact to customers, service reroutes will be scheduled for overnight and weekends only.
Funding for the station rehabilitation project is from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and is part of the $1 billion Red Line investment project. The $1B capital investment is a combination of state, local and federal funds, which will support other Red Line projects including: track and station renewal along the Dan Ryan branch; the rebuilding of the Clark/Division and Wilson stations; and several other track, substation and station renewal projects along the North Main Line branch.
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