CTA

Your New Blue Track Improvement Work to Affect Weekend Service Between Western and Damen Stations

April 10, 2014

CTA will provide free bus shuttle service between affected stations over the weekend  

The CTA will continue track work this weekend on the Blue Line O’Hare branch as part of the Your New Blue project, which will require the temporary suspension of train service this weekend between the Western and Damen stations beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, April 11 until 4 a.m. Monday, April 14.

The $492 million Your New Blue track and station improvement program for the Blue Line O’Hare branch includes track work that will provide smoother, more reliable commutes for customers.

For customers who need to travel between these two adjacent stations, free bus shuttles that will run 24 hours a day and provide service between stations. Customers will be able to transfer for free back into rail stations to resume their trips. To make sure that customers with disabilities have access to rail service, the shuttle buses will serve all stations between the accessible Western and Clark/Lake stations. 

Customers are strongly encouraged to allow 15-20 minutes of extra travel time when using the Blue Line O’Hare branch this weekend.

This weekend, North Avenue between Milwaukee and Hoyne will be closed to all through traffic. Westbound #72 North Avenue buses will be detoured to operate via North Avenue, Damen, Division, Western to North Avenue and resume the regular route. Eastbound #72 buses will travel the reverse route.

To help alleviate traffic congestion on and near North and Milwaukee avenues, detour signage will be posted to direct motorists to use an alternate route from buses when traveling in the area. The recommended route for westbound motorists is North Avenue, Ashland, Division, Western to North Avenue; eastbound traffic will travel the reverse route.

The track project includes replacing wooden rail ties, tie plates and other track materials on the Milwaukee elevated track structure between the Damen and Logan Square stops—a section of line that opened in 1895 and still sits on the original structure. This work will require seven additional temporary, weekend-only closures of small sections of the Blue Line, tentatively scheduled through August. The next track closure, between Western and Damen, is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Friday, April 25 through 4 a.m. Monday, April 28.

Announced in December 2013, Your New Blue will provide faster, smoother commutes and improved stations along the Blue Line’s O’Hare branch between the Grand and O’Hare stations. Your New Blue is the largest, most comprehensive investment in the Blue Line since the O'Hare branch was extended to the airport from Jefferson Park in 1983-84. More information about the project is available at www.transitchicago.com/yournewblue.

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