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Two transit agencies are advancing projects because of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.

Yesterday, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) awarded a $56.6 million contract to joint venture Kiewit-Reyes to rehabilitate about 36,000 feet of track in the Blue Line Dearborn subway. The funding will be provided by stimulus dollars, CTA said. The work is scheduled to begin in mid-April and create 400 local jobs.

During the past two years, CTA has rehabbed more than 6,000 feet of track in the Blue Line subway between the Damen and Clark/Lake stations to eliminate slow zones.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Transit expects to receive about $400 million in ARRA funds, pending approval by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and South Jersey Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Projects that will be advanced because of the funds include: Phase II of the Lower Hack Drawbridge project; signal upgrades on the River LINE and Morristown Line; Newark Penn Station Plaza pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation improvements; a new interlocking near Danforth Station on the Hudson-Bergen light-rail line; track replacement on the Monclair-Boonton and Main lines; a new intermodal transfer station linking the River LINE and Atlantic City Rail Line; tie replacement on the Atlantic City Rail Line; and final design for the Access to the Region's Core project, which calls for building two new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River and expanding Penn Station.