Final major stage of CTA’s Red and Purple Modernization Phase One to begin July 28

July 17, 2023

Stage B of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization project will see the construction of four new Red Line stations, as well as the reconstruction of a section of track structure.

Mischa Wanek-Libman

A rendering of what the rebuilt CTA Lawrence Red Line Station will look like following completion of Stage B of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization project.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will begin Stage B of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization project July 28. Stage B includes construction of four new, accessible Red Line stations at Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr. Additionally, trains will begin using the new eastern tracks, so the westernmost tracks can be demolished and rebuilt.

“We are pleased to start this next important phase of work that is modernizing and improving the Red Line for our customers,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This next major stage of construction will build state-of-the-art, fully accessible stations, moving us closer to our commitment to making the entire CTA rail system fully accessible. We’re doing all of this while providing career-building training opportunities, good jobs and plenty of opportunities for small businesses to participate in this historic Red Line project.”

The first stage of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization began in May with the reconstruction of century-old CTA t rack structures to the east of the 1.3-mile segment. Walsh-Fluor, CTA’s contractor for the project, will repeat a process performed to rebuild the eastern tracks with the two tracks on the west. The embankment wall and bridges over cross streets will be demolished and new track support columns installed. Deep shafts, 60 to 80 feet into the ground, will be drilled and filled with concrete to create the foundations for the new track support columns that will be installed on top of the shafts.

As with the first stage, the new bridges and tracks will be built using an overhead gantry system to minimize impacts to the community and the staging area needed by the contractor. CTA says this phase of work will be completed and the new, accessible stations will open in 2025.

The project is part of CTA’s Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Project Phase One, which is a transformational project to modernize and replace rail structures and stations along CTA’s busiest rail line. RPM Phase One includes three major components:

Reconstruction of the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr Red Line stations into larger, 100 percent accessible stations and replacement of track structure totaling six track-miles.
The construction of a new Red-Purple Bypass, which was completed in 2021, and the reconstruction of Red and Purple Line track structure between Belmont and Newport/Cornelia.
Installation of a new signal system on 23 track miles between Howard and Belmont that will improve train flow and service reliability.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Editor in Chief

Mischa Wanek-Libman serves as editor in chief of Mass Transit magazine. She is responsible for developing and maintaining the magazine’s editorial direction and is based in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Wanek-Libman has spent more than 20 years covering transportation issues including construction projects and engineering challenges for various commuter railroads and transit agencies. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and serves as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.

She is a graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a major in magazine journalism and a minor in business management.