CTA gears up for third phase of Wilson Station reconstruction

The Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Wilson Station reconstruction project is moving into its third phase, meaning the work is now more than halfway complete, the agency announced Tuesday.

The $203 million project calls for rebuilding the station and its more than 100-year-old track structure. When the project is complete in 2017, the station will provide a new transfer point between the Red and Purple lines.

The CTA has reconstructed two southbound tracks that carry Red and Purple Line Express trains and built a new southbound platform that opened in March.

As part of the next phase, CTA will reconstruct the northbound Red Line track and related elevated structure. This phase also includes demolition of the old station platform and construction of a new east island platform that eventually will serve northbound Red and Purple lines.

The station will remain open during the third phase, but Red and Purple Line Express trains will continue sharing one southbound track, as they have since early 2015, CTA officials said in a press release.

In total, 2,200 feet of elevated tracks, signals and supporting infrastructure will be relocated and reconstructed to eliminate slow zones and improve service reliability.