04/14/00
Construction will begin Monday, April 17, on a project to make CTA's Blue Line station at UIC-Halsted accessible to persons with disabilities at both Halsted (800 W) and Morgan (1000 W).
The work will initially close what is now an exit-only facility at Morgan Street for about two months so a new accessible entrance can be built and the ramp to the platform reconfigured to meet ADA guidelines. As in the past, customers will be able to use existing entrances and exits at Halsted and Peoria (900 W).
Once construction at Morgan is completed in June, the work will shift to the main station entrance at Halsted, which will be closed for about four months. During this time, the street-level station entrance will be rebuilt for accessibility by disabled customers, and the ramp to the platform will be reconstructed in the same manner as at Morgan.
From June until the work at Halsted is completed in October, customers will be able to enter the UIC-Halsted station at either Peoria or Morgan.
A third phase of construction at the UIC-Halsted station will be undertaken this fall after completion of the work at Morgan and Halsted. At that time, an escalator at the Peoria Street entrance will be removed, and stairways from the street will be rebuilt to provide wider clearance on the platform for customers in wheelchairs. At least one stairway will be open at Peoria at all times while the work proceeds, and the UIC-Halsted station will not be fully accessible until the entire project is completed.
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