Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Senator Dick Durbin, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Acting President Nora Leerhsen and other dignitaries last week to break ground on the Red Line Extension (RLE) Project.
Widely considered to be the largest and most transformational capital construction project in CTA history; the project will see the Red Line extended by 5.5 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street, including building four new Red Line stations at 103rd, 111th, Michigan and 130th streets.
An artist rendering of 103rd Street Main Station
© Chicago Transit Authority
The move will provide the Far South Side of Chicago with rapid rail transit for the first time, and will also see the construction of a brand-new rail yard and related rail facilities near 120th street to improve operational efficiency for the entire Red Line and CTA system.
US Senator Dick Durbin said:
The Red Line Extension project ensures more reliable, accessible public transit for Chicagoans while bolstering our economy.
My Chicago-area delegation colleagues and I have long-advocated for federal support for this project and I am thrilled to celebrate today’s groundbreaking.
Once operational, the Red Line Extension is expected to provide time savings of up to an hour on round trips to riders travelling between the future 130th station and the Loop, as well as offer a new, more direct connection to the Red Line itself. All new stations are planned to offer plaza areas with seating and other amenities, whilst buildings will receive commissioned, one-of-a-kind artwork developed with feedback from people in the neighbourhood areas around the stations.
As a result of the works, more than 12,500 construction jobs and an estimated 59,800 indirect jobs are expected to be created, with an estimated 25,000 additional jobs becoming available to the public within an hour commute or less.
With advanced construction work underway, upcoming work is set to include:
- Drilling where new elevated track columns will be located
- Pouring concrete to create the new track foundations followed by track columns
- Station construction will begin in 2027
The new extension and its stations are expected to be completed and in service by 2030.