04/27/07
Belmont Avenue will be closed early Sunday morning while the Chicago Transit Authority relocates the existing historic stationhouse from the south side of Belmont to the north side. The work is expected to take place between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. While work to move the stationhouse is underway, trains will operate on the two westernmost tracks only. All southbound trains will operate on the southbound Brown Line tracks at the Belmont station. Southbound customers will board on the west (or Brown Line) side of the southbound platform.
All northbound trains will operate on the southbound Red Line tracks at Belmont station. Northbound customers will board trains on the east (or Red Line) side of the southbound platform.
CTA's #77 Belmont bus will be temporarily rerouted in both directions via Belmont, Sheffield, Addison and Halsted, then back to Belmont to resume the regular route.
CTA plans to restore the historic stationhouse and reopen it in 2009 as an auxiliary entrance/exit for added customer convenience. A new, accessible stationhouse will be constructed as the primary entrance and exit.
"Belmont is one of eight historic stations included in the capacity expansion project that will be restored," said CTA President Frank Kruesi. ?When the old station is moved to its permanent location and work is completed customers will be able to appreciate both the old and the new stations as both will be available for customer convenience."
Along with a new stationhouse, renovations to the Belmont station include installing brighter lighting, tactile edging and accessible turnstiles, realigning tracks to allow for elevator installation, and upgrading the public address system. Platforms will be expanded to accommodate eight-car trains instead of the six-car trains currently in use to allow more customers to board.
The historic Belmont stationhouse opened in June 1900 as part of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. The stationhouse was designed by William Gibb and is constructed of brick with terra-cotta trim and has an overall Classical Revival design with Italianate details, such as the columns and segmented arched windows.
Visit www.ctabrownline.com or CTA's web site at www.transitchicago.com for more information on the Brown Line capacity expansion project.
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