The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has opened its new Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr Red Line stations. The station replacements are part of the $2.1 billion Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One Project. CTA noted RPM Phase One is “the largest completed investment in the transit agency’s history.” The agency inaugurated it with a commemorative “first ride” between Berwyn and Bryn Mawr.
Upgrades include ADA-accessible elevators, escalators, and wider platforms; translucent overhead canopies for weather protection; better lighting and security; improved train service and a decrease in crowding on platforms; original artwork installed at each station; and real-time information boards. The new stations are also larger than the previous 100-year-old facilities. As part of this transition, the temporary Argyle and Bryn Mawr stations serving customers during construction have permanently closed and will be demolished.
RPM Phase One, started in 2019, has three components. First was reconstruction of the four stations as well as replacing six track-miles, including reconstruction of 1.3 miles of elevated track structure estimated to be 100 years old. New support structures, bridges, and viaducts were also built along the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr corridor. The second component was a Red-Purple Bypass construction and reconstruction of the Red and Purple Line track structure between Belmont and Newport/Cornelia. The third and final major component was installation of a new signal system on 23 track-miles between Howard and Belmont, replacing 60-year-old technology.
CTA’s “Under L” project will revitalize 10 blocks of open space under the new Red and Purple Line tracks between Lawrence and Ardmore. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and completed in 2027. This project includes a pedestrian trail, playground, benches, dog parks, and a “flexible-use plaza space for community events.”
The Walsh-Fluor Design-Build Team, led by Walsh Construction and Fluor Corporation as joint venture partners, with lead designer Stantec and major subconsultant designers EXP, International Bridge Technologies and Atlas Technical Consultants, joined the CTA in celebrating the grand opening of the upgraded Red Line stations.
The 1.9 miles of new elevated track structure were “constructed to meet modern clearance standards and eliminate center-street columns, resulting in improved sightlines for pedestrians and motorists,” the Walsh-Fluor team noted. “The new structure replaces deteriorated viaducts and embankments that dated back to the early 1900s. The new signal system will improve train spacing and reliability, contributing to smoother operations systemwide.”
“Delivering these improvements within one of Chicago’s most constrained transit corridors required innovation and precision,” Walsh-Fluor said. “We deployed a custom 285-foot overhead gantry crane, named the “Windy City Gantry,” to install precast concrete segments from above, minimizing surface disruption. A 55-ton Mi-Jack rubber-tired gantry was also used to support top-down construction methods in spaces with as little as six inches of lateral clearance from adjacent buildings. Construction sequencing minimized service impacts while maximizing safety and efficiency for workers and the public.”
“In a blend of preservation and progress, the historic Vautravers Building, a 127-year-old greystone, was shifted approximately 30 feet west to allow for a straighter track alignment while maintaining a cherished architectural landmark,” Walsh-Fluor added. “Another key element of Phase One is the Red-Purple Bypass, completed in 2021, which eliminated a critical bottleneck at Clark Junction where Red, Purple, and Brown Line trains previously intersected at grade. The bypass now allows Red Line trains to flow freely under northbound Brown Line service on the bypass, improving reliability and enabling more trains to run during peak service.”
Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen said, “It was wonderful to welcome CTA riders today to our brand new, fully accessible Red Line stations and to showcase the RPM team’s hard work to modernize and improve rail service for the people who visit, live in, and work in these communities. I am grateful to the people in the neighborhoods that these stations will serve—including the residents, businesses, and local elected officials that have partnered with us during construction—for their support. Now is the time to celebrate together the access and opportunity that these new, breathtaking stations will provide.”
“The opening of four Red Line stations and new track structure is more than a construction milestone, it’s a symbol of progress for Chicago’s transit and neighborhoods,” said David Shier, project executive for the Walsh-Fluor Design-Build Team. “We’re proud to deliver efficient, durable infrastructure that will serve the city for generations. This was all made possible by the ability and dedication of our skilled workforce, project management and project partners.”
“Transformational projects like this are complex and required a village of dedicated and passionate team members from our engineering team in collaboration with our contractor partners and the CTA,” said Dena Abakumov, transit and rail sector lead at Stantec. “Delivering this project in a dense urban environment required our teams to bring forward new ideas to put the community experience at the forefront of our design, and to support Walsh-Flour and CTA to minimize disruptions to the community.”
CTA’s RPM Project will ultimately rebuild a 9.6-mile stretch of Red and Purple Line infrastructure on Chicago’s North Side. The Red Line is CTA’s busiest, carrying nearly 40 million passengers in 2024.
Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono contributed to this story.
