CTA releases details of first phase of Red and Purple Lines modernization project

As part of its modernization project for the Red and Purple Lines, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) yesterday released an environmental assessment document providing an analysis of station and track rehabilitation work between the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr stations.

This phase — known as the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization Project — calls for the reconstruction of the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations, in addition to rebuilding more than a mile of track, CTA officials said.

Additional improvements include wider and longer platforms for faster boarding, better lighting and customer security features, and more benches and wind screens, officials said.

The environmental assessment outlines construction plans and potential impacts of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr project. CTA officials anticipate that construction for this specific project could begin as early as 2017, CTA officials said.

The estimated cost of the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization Project is $1.33 billion, according to the document.

"This transformational, once-in-a-generation project will bring critical infrastructure and station improvements to the Red Line, which is Chicago’s backbone and our busiest line, and allow us to increase train service as ridership continues to grow," said CTA President Forrest Claypool in a statement.

CTA plans to seek funding from the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant Program, which involves a multi-year, multistep process that project sponsors must complete before a project is eligible for funding, the document states.