Groundbreaking has officially been held for the long-awaited extension of the CTA Red Line across the Far South Side. Set to connect multiple communities to the rest of the system, the ceremony comes after a high-profile legal battle with the current federal administration over the withholding of funds that had already been approved for the project.
Formal proposals have been revealed for the city’s Roseland Michigan Avenue RFQ. The RFQ was originally issued in 2022 as part of Invest South/West, it encompassed three sites and garnered responses from five separate teams, our in-depth coverage can be found here. Finalists for the fully affordable projects were originally expected to be announced in 2023.
The Red Line Extension is moving forward as the state has secured $1.9 billion in federal funding for the project. The announcement came at the same time as Chicago City Council’s announcement that the council had approved zoning for the project. With the design and construction team secured, the extension is slated to begin construction late 2025.
An updated cost has been revealed for the CTA Red Line Extension (RLE) as the agency selects a contractor ahead of construction. Stretching all the way down to 130th Street once completed, the project has been in development for over a decade and recently received additional funding from the federal government.
Additional funding has been rewarded for the upcoming CTA Red Line Extension across the South Side. The news of an additional $100 million comes after the Chicago Transit Authority announced $1.973 billion in funds earlier this year from the federal government. Led by the CTA itself, currently three teams are working on their proposals to build out the expansion and stations.