Blue Line service between Western and Logan Square to be suspended over the weekend; Green Line Service between Roosevelt and 35th to be suspended Saturday, Sunday mornings
Work on two CTA rail construction projects is scheduled for this weekend, requiring the temporary suspension of early morning Green Line service between the Roosevelt and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT stations and the temporary, full-weekend suspension of Blue Line service between the Western and Logan Square stations on the O’Hare branch.
Cermak-McCormick Place/Green Line Station Work
Green Line service between the Roosevelt and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT stations will be temporarily suspended beginning at the start of service through 11:40 a.m. both Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8, to allow crews to perform work associated with the construction of the new Cermak-McCormick Place station.
For customers who need to travel between adjacent Roosevelt and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT stations, a free bus shuttle will be provided along with free transfers back into the rail stations to allow customers to resume the remainder of their trips. Customers are encouraged to allow extra travel time.
This is the first of three partial Green Line service disruptions planned for weekend mornings only. Similar work is tentatively scheduled for the weekends of July 19-20 and July 26-27, which will begin before the start of service (1:40 a.m.) and conclude by 11:40 a.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
The future Green Line station at Cermak fills a major gap in service between the existing Roosevelt and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT stations and will provide much needed access to rapid transit for neighborhood residents and businesses, including McCormick Place. The completed station will feature modern amenities such as elevators, bike racks, state-of-the-art security, enclosed boarding platforms, and three entrances. Work on the $50 million construction project began last fall and is managed by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT).
Construction of the Cermak-McCormick station is part of a larger $92 million transportation investment on the Near South Side announced by Mayor Emanuel and CTA President Claypool late last summer. Other initiatives include the rehabilitation of the Roosevelt (auxiliary entrance) and Harrison stations on the Red Line; CDOT streetscape improvements to Roosevelt Road; and the recently completed Orange Line 18th Street Connector rehabilitation project.
Your New Blue Track Work
Beginning 10 p.m. Friday, June 6 until 4 a.m. Monday, June 9, train service between the Western and Logan Square stations will be temporarily suspended as crews continue track work along the O’Hare branch of the Blue Line as part of the Your New Blue project.
For customers at the Western, California and Logan Square stations, CTA will provide free bus shuttles that will operate 24 hours a day serving each affected station. Free transfers back into the rail stations will be provided to allow customers to resume their trips. For customers with disabilities, shuttles will provide service to the closest accessible station.
Customers are strongly encouraged to allow 15-20 minutes of extra travel time when using the Blue Line O’Hare branch this weekend.
Train service will be restored at 4 a.m. Monday, in time for the morning rush period.
Weekend work will require some street closures and parking restrictions near the elevated structure. Beginning at 9 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Monday, the following streets under CTA tracks will be closed: 2404-2425 Homer St.; 2700-2721 W. St. George Ct.; 2209-2228 N. California; and 2800-2815 W. Lyndale St. The first street closure, for 2700-2715 W. Prindiville, begins at 7 a.m. Friday and will conclude at 4 a.m. Monday.
Also, due to the closure of California Avenue between Palmer and Milwaukee and Armitage Avenue between Campbell and Milwaukee, the #52 Kedzie/California and #73 Armitage buses will be detoured to adjacent streets.
The track project includes replacing wooden rail ties, tie plates and other track materials on the Milwaukee elevated track structure between the Damen and Logan Square stops—a section of line that opened in 1895 and still sits on the original structure. This work will require three additional temporary, weekend-only closures of small sections of the Blue Line, tentatively scheduled through September. The next track closure, between Western and Logan Square, is scheduled to begin 10 p.m. Friday, July 25, and end at 4 a.m. Monday, July 28.
Announced in December 2013, Your New Blue is a $492 million project to provide faster, smoother commutes and improved stations along the Blue Line’s O’Hare branch between the Grand and O’Hare stations. Your New Blue is the largest, most comprehensive investment in the Blue Line since the O’Hare branch was extended to the airport from Jefferson Park in 1983-84. More information about the project is available at www.transitchicago.com/yournewblue
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