$17 million contract for track design work for a 13-mile segment from the Illinois Medical District Station to the I-290 Bridge includes DBE participation and local firms
At its October 27th meeting the Chicago Transit Board approved the awarding of a contract for the remaining track design work on the Forest Park Branch of the Blue Line from the Illinois Medical District (IMD) station to the I-290 Bridge. This board action marks the start of the next phase of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild Project– a multi-year, multi-phased investment program to reconstruct the entire Forest Park Branch of the Blue Line and make it 100% accessible to those who use mobility devices.
Currently, more than 80 percent of the branch is categorized as a “slow zone,” requiring trains to operate at drastically reduced speeds for safety. The first phase of work, which kicked off in 2023, encompassed comprehensive track and drainage renewals between the UIC-Halsted and Illinois Medical District (IMD) stations alongside a complete modernization and ADA-accessibility rebuild of the Racine station.
“I know how much fast, reliable rail service means for the people and communities we serve,” said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. “This contract is an investment that will build on the improvements we’ve already delivered and moves us closer to our goal of a modernized and accessible Blue Line. We are excited to move forward in our work to strengthen this vital connection between Chicago and the western suburbs.”
The contract, which will be awarded to AECOM Technical Services, is for design work that covers about 70,000 track feet, or about 13 miles between the IMD station and the I-290 Bridge, which is located just east of River Road to the east of the Forest Park station. Major services in the contract include a field investigation of the entire corridor and design for new and upgraded infrastructure, including track, signals, traction power, drainage, utilities, and any other facilities within the CTA right-of-way. The contract also includes a review of drainage elements along the I-290 expressway shoulders and how they affect CTA rail service.
AECOM partnered with three local DBE firms that account for more than 15 percent of the contract: DB Sterling Consultants, Facet Engineering, and GSG Consultants.
Funding for the project comes in part from a $15.8 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Carbon Reduction Grant Program. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) applied on CTA’s behalf and was awarded funding to support the design of future track work on the Blue Line Forest Park Branch. The two agencies authorized an intergovernmental agreement to transfer the funding in July.
Design work on the two-mile stretch excluded from this contract from Kedzie Avenue to Keeler Avenue has been completed and construction is expected to begin on that segment in 2027 with the support of federal funds from the Reconnecting Communities Program. The first phase of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild was completed in 2023 and featured a $268 million rebuild of three miles of track between the Illinois Medical District and LaSalle Station downtown.
This track design work is a critical next step in the ongoing partnership with CTA and IDOT to revitalize the I-290 and Forest Park Branch Blue Line corridor. CTA is a lead agency with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and IDOT on the Connect 290 Blue Program that was established in 2024 to coordinate funding and rebuilding the I-290 Eisenhower Expressway and the Forest Park Branch of the Blue Line. More than 4 million transit riders travel through the corridor annually and the expressway is one of the most congested in the U.S.
“Rebuilding the Forest Park Branch isn’t just about upgrading tracks. It’s about providing faster, more reliable and accessible service for the people who depend on the Blue Line every day,” said Erin Aleman, Executive Director of CMAP. “The I-290 and Blue Line corridor is among the priority investments the region identified in its recently adopted 2026 Regional Transportation Plan. This design milestone is an important step toward realizing that vision and reflects the sustained collaboration among CTA, IDOT, and CMAP needed to deliver meaningful improvements for northeastern Illinois.”
Much of the infrastructure along the Forest Park Branch of the Blue Line is original, dating back to 1958, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was President. While CTA has performed routine maintenance and made modest improvements in recent decades, most of the infrastructure is far beyond its useful life and needs replacement and upgrades to address issues affecting daily service.