Chicago Transit Authority has announced that the construction for the Red-Purple bypass is set to begin this fall, as part of the first phase of Red Purple modernisation programme. Bypass construction will be completed in 2021.
The Red Purple programme includes the construction of the Red-Purple bypass north of Belmont station where Red, Brown and Purple lines intersect. The 1907-built junction has capped the CTA’s ability to add more trains as ridership grows. Under the project, Brown Line would use the bypass to travel over the Red and Purple tracks.
CTA will begin constructing new track foundations in the Lakeview community for a new rail bypass bridge that will allow Kimball-bound (northbound) Brown Line trains to cross over north- and southbound Red and Purple Line tracks just north of Belmont station.
CTA is finalizing construction start dates with the project’s contractor, Walsh-Fluor Design Build Team, and will continue to provide advance notification of construction impacts to riders and those in the surrounding community.
The Red-Purple bypass project will add up to 8 more Red Line trains per hour, will accommodate up to 7,200 additional passengers per hour and will increase Red and Purple line train speeds by 60 percent through the intersection.
“The Red and Purple Modernization Project is an important investment in the future of Chicago transit that will benefit CTA customers across our rail system, as well as surrounding communities and their long-term livelihood,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr, said.
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