Work is set to commence this Monday on the second phase of the Kennedy Expressway renovations on the North Side. The massive project was announced last year, with phase one kicking off last spring and being fully completed in December. The project is being led by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and will span into late next year.
Metra has taken a significant step towards adopting sustainable transportation by approving the purchase of battery-powered, zero-emission trainsets. This initiative, which was approved by Metra’s Board of Directors, positions Metra as one of the first in the United States to implement this technology.
An additional $40 million in funding has been announced for the upcoming renovation of Terminal 3 at O’Hare International Airport. We previously covered the renovation nearly a year ago when it originally received $50 million from the 2021 infrastructure bill. Now further dollars have been awarded to the project led by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) with an undisclosed set of designers and engineers.
Construction of the Damen Green Line Station continues at 2001 W Lake Street in the Near West Side, under the management of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). Initiated in 2017, the project has faced delays and a budget increase, now totaling $80.2 million. This development aims to reintroduce rail service to an area that has lacked it since the original station’s demolition in 1948. The original Damen Green Line station, constructed in 1893, was ultimately demolished 55 years later, alongside nine other stations, due to decreased demand and the CTA’s efforts to improve service efficiency.
The Chicago Department of Planning and Development and Mayor Brandon Johnson have announced winners of multiple grants for projects across the city. The first pool consists of $25 million in grants for commercial projects, a second pool of $5 million is to be distributed for climate-transit related projects, and $8 million in Adopt-A-Landmark grants.
