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Yesterday, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the state will provide $646 million to repair and rebuild the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line, and improve the agency’s Purple Line.

Combined with other state, local and federal funds, the latest state allocation brings the total investment to $1 billion to overhaul “a critical piece” of the region’s transit system, which accounts for about 40 percent of CTA’s ridership, according to a press release from Quinn’s office.

The state’s investment for the Red and Purple line work now totals $702.4 million, state officials said. The projects also will receive $255.5 million in federal funding and $4.1 million from the city of Chicago.

The Red Line project calls for rebuilding sections of deteriorated track to eliminate slow zones, replacing or repairing old stations, and installing new power systems; the Purple Line work includes upgrading a significant portion of the route. Scheduled to begin in 2012, the work is projected to take three years to complete.

“The project will improve the Red Line, while also helping to make our streets and highways less congested,” said Acting Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider.