Contractor Selected for Brown and Red Line Slow Zone Work04/10/08
The Chicago Transit Board today approved a $22.8 million contract for repair work and materials that will reduce slow zones on a total of 8,280 feet along the north end of the Red Line and sections of the Brown Line.
Under the terms of the contract, CTA will be able to eliminate of 4,700 feet of existing slow zone on the Brown Line between the Belmont and Western stations and 3,580 feet of existing slow zone on the Red Line between the Belmont and Sheridan stations.
"We are continuing our aggressive efforts to invest in our rail infrastructure by replacing deteriorating track and rail ties and eliminating slow zones and improve the travel time for our customers," said CTA President Ron Huberman. ?Our goal is to put the ?rapid? back in transit."
Work to eliminate slow zones includes replacing wood rail ties and old tie plates with 100 percent recycled plastic ties and insulated tie plates; and replacing track. In order to facilitate the work, single tracks and reroutes will be needed. Customers will be notified in advance of any work that impacts service.
The slow zone elimination plan began in Summer 2007 and through March CTA has removed nearly 25 percent of the slow zones. Through the meticulous efforts of replacing rail ties and track replacements, slow zones currently occupy 15.9 percent or 187,911 feet of the entire rail system down from 250,057 feet of track.
F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Assoc., LLC. was awarded the contract through a competitive bid and will perform the work on the Brown Line. The contractor will supply materials for CTA crews to complete the work on the Red Line. The Brown Line work is scheduled to begin in May and is expected to be completed in December. While the Red Line work will begin in May and is expected to be completed in Summer 2009.
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