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4/30/2026
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) executives, state and local leaders and other dignitaries attended a groundbreaking ceremony last week for the CTA’s Red Line extension project.
The project will provide people residing on Chicago’s far south side a rapid transit-rail option for the first time, CTA officials said in a press release. The authority plans to extend the Red Line by 5.5 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street, build four new accessible stations and construct a new rail yard and related rail facilities to improve operational efficiency for the entire line.
Once the extension opens in 2030, roundtrip riders will save up to an hour in travel time between the future 130th Street Station and the downtown Loop.
“This historic project finally delivers on the transit promises made to the residents ... decades ago," said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. "It will provide tremendous opportunity and access to employment and education for hundreds of thousands of residents.”
Advance construction work has been underway to prepare the project for construction, including demolition of necessary acquired properties and relocation of utility poles and other equipment where new track will be built. Upcoming work will include drilling for new elevated track columns and pouring concrete to create the new track foundations. Station construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.
The project’s design-build contractor is Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners.