Chicago Construction News staff writer
Construction is underway on the new State/Lake Loop Elevated station in downtown Chicago, the Chicago Department of Transportation said Monday. The existing 130-year-old station closed today to allow demolition and the start of major construction for the modern transit hub.
The project is being built by F.H. Paschen, a Chicago-based construction firm responsible for demolishing the existing station and constructing the new facility. The station is designed to improve safety, accessibility and comfort for riders at one of the CTA’s busiest transfer points. It will feature widened and elongated platforms, additional exits and turnstiles, and elevators and escalators to provide convenient access for people with mobility challenges, families with strollers and travelers with luggage.
The design also includes public realm improvements at street level to enhance pedestrian and vehicle safety and improve access to the State Street retail corridor. A continuous glass canopy above the platforms will protect riders from rain, snow, wind and sun while maintaining visual connections to the surrounding city. The canopy incorporates a ceramic frit pattern for solar protection and natural daylight and wraps around the platform perimeter to provide shade in summer and shelter in winter.
For riders transferring between platforms, the station will include an accessible fly-over bridge on the western side. The glass- and metal-clad structure features elevators and stairs, offering a weather-controlled passage between platforms.
“The investment in this light-filled new transit hub sends a strong message that Chicago’s downtown is coming back better than ever from the challenges we’ve faced in the last year,” said Gia Biagi, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Trains on the Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines and the Purple Line Express will no longer stop at State/Lake during construction. Loop trains will continue to operate, and riders can use nearby accessible stations at Washington/Wabash and Clark/Lake. The new station is scheduled to open in 2029.
