Project

Station and Track Upgrades from Grand to O’Hare

Say goodbye to slow zones and outdated stations. Say hello to Your New Blue.

Big improvements are in store for the more than 80,000 daily riders of the CTA’s Blue Line O’Hare branch. Among the benefits of this $492 million project:

• Modernized stations to better meet the needs of riders now and into the future. This means upgrades to stations built in 1895 -- when Grover Cleveland was President of the United States.
• Faster service. This will save passengers up to 10 minutes on a round trip between downtown and O’Hare.
• A generally improved experience for Blue Line riders on the O’Hare branch. The project will bring brighter lights, cleaner, drier tunnels and, in some stations, a new elevator, improved entrances and original public artwork for customers and the community to enjoy.

The investment is also expected to generate 1,300 new jobs during construction.

See below for specific improvements headed for your section of the Blue Line:

• Station Work
  • Grand, Chicago and Division
  • Damen (Completed December 2014)
  • Western (Completed January 2015)
  • California (Completed October 2014)
  • Logan Square
  • Belmont
  • Addison (Completed November 2016)
  • Jefferson Park (Updated September 2018)
  • Irving Park thru Cumberland (Completed November 2016)
• Track & Infrastructure Work
  • Milwaukee Elevated Improvements
  • Dearborn Subway Improvements
  • Kimball Subway Improvements
• Signal Work

As we upgrade the Blue Line, we will do our best to limit inconveniences. Riders will see temporary station closures and small delays overnight and on weekends. Check out the latest information on systemwide service changes, sign up for CTA Updates or follow @cta(Opens in a new window) on Twitter to stay up-to-speed on work that might affect your trip.

Public art

As part of the Your New Blue project, new public works of art are planned for stations undergoing rehabilitation work. Original artwork adds value not only to our stations and their surrounding communities, but also to the overall transit experience for our riders. Expanding our collection of permanent art is a valuable investment for our system and the neighborhoods we serve.