The Chicago Transit Authority along with city, state and federal first responders will be conducting an emergency preparedness exercise that will require the temporary closure of the Washington Blue Line station in the Dearborn Subway and portions of Washington and Dearborn streets.
The exercise will affect eight bus routes in the downtown area from 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 20 until 5:30 a.m. Thursday, May 21, and Blue Line service at the Washington station from 10 p.m. Wednesday until 5:30 a.m. the following morning.
The Washington subway station will be closed to all customers and Blue Line trains will bypass the station in both directions. CTA personnel will be on site to inform customers of these changes and will redirect customers to alternate locations for service.
In addition, Washington Street between Clark and State, and Dearborn Street between Randolph and Madison will be closed to all pedestrians and traffic. As a result, eight CTA bus routes will be detoured to nearby streets.
Northbound #22 Clark, #24 Wentworth, #36 Broadway and #62 Archer buses will travel over their regular routes along Dearborn to Monroe then will operate via Monroe, State, Randolph to Dearborn and then resume their regular routes. Southbound #22, #24, #36 and #62 buses are not affected and will travel their regular routes.
Eastbound #20 Madison, #56 Milwaukee, #60 Blue Island/26th and #124 Navy Pier buses will operate over their regular routes along Washington to Clark then will travel via Clark, Monroe, State to Washington and then resume their regular routes. Westbound #20, #56, #60 and #124 buses are not affected and will travel their regular routes.
Emergency response vehicles and uniformed responders – some in hazardous materials suits – may be seen around Daley Plaza and along the Washington Station platform as part of the exercise. Their participation is for simulation purposes only.
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