advertisement

---

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has opened the final two of eight stations renovated as part of the $483 million rehabilitation of the Cermak (Douglas) branch of the Blue Line.

CTA spent $33.4 million to upgrade the California and Damen stations by adding elevators, escalators, wheelchair turnstiles, TTY telephones, tactile edging and Braille signs.

The California station includes a new pedestrian walkway bridge across California Avenue and a new auxiliary entrance.

The Damen station’s main area now is located on the Damen Avenue end of the platform instead of the Hoyne Avenue end. The former Hoyne Avenue entrance has been converted into a secondary entrance.

Both stations feature new center platforms with benches, overhead heaters and enhanced lighting, and new station signs and public address systems.

Rehabilitation of the 6.6-mile branch will be complete in January. CTA now will finish upgrading signal and communications systems, complete a new substation and install two escalators at the Polk station.

Work on the 100-year-old line began in September 2001. The project was funded through a Full Funding Grant Agreement, Illinois FIRST, the Regional Transportation Authority and Illinois Department of Transportation.