Major funding has been announced for the upcoming CTA Red Line extension across the South Side. After being in the works for over 50-years, the federal government has now pledged $1.973 billion to the infrastructure project in order to get it built. Led by the Chicago Transit Authority itself, currently three teams are working on their proposals to build out the expansion and stations.
The Illinois International Port District has applied for a grant to extensively restore its multi-site campus in East Side and South Deering. Formally located at 3600 E 95th Street and commonly known as the Port of Chicago, the massive facility has been slowly crumbling into the lake as funding continues to dry up. However, its governing body hopes to get the support of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s $34.5 million grant administered by the Maritime Administration.
Chicago’s Central Station, once a hub of vibrant activity, represents a significant chapter in American railway history. Constructed in 1893, the station was designed by esteemed architect Bradford L. Gilbert to accommodate the traffic demands of the World’s Columbian Exposition. Located near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue, the station’s strategic position was instrumental for moving people and goods within the city and beyond. Notably, there was another dismantled passenger station known as Grand Central Station, which was highlighted in a previous Lost Legends article.
A construction permit has been approved for a new transit development at 611 W 79th Street, in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. The project, owned by Metra, involves constructing a new two-story Metra station that will integrate with the Rock Island Line.
Design development continues for the upcoming replacement of multiple bridges on Metra’s UP North Line across the north side. The work comes as the existing bridges push over 120-years in age with most of them held up by rusted columns, however the project has been a point of contention for locals since its announcement in 2021. The project is being led by Metra themselves who recently held its second community meeting on the proposed design.
