Chicago Construction News staff writer
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has awarded a contract for design work on the next phase of its Forest Park Branch Blue Line reconstruction project.
A contract with AECOM Technical Services was approved at the Oct. 27 meeting. Work will cover approximately 13 miles of track between the Illinois Medical District (IMD) station and the I-290 Bridge, just east of the Forest Park station.
The contract includes a field investigation of the corridor and design work for new and upgraded track, signals, traction power, drainage, utilities and other infrastructure within the CTA right-of-way. It also includes a review of drainage features along the shoulders of the I-290 expressway and their impact on rail service.
More than 80 per cent of the Forest Park Branch is currently designated as a slow zone, requiring trains to operate at reduced speeds for safety reasons.
The multi-year reconstruction program aims to replace aging infrastructure along the entire branch, improve service reliability and make all stations accessible to passengers using mobility devices.
“The contract is an investment that will build on the improvements we’ve already delivered and moves us closer to our goal of a modernized and accessible Blue Line,” said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen.
The first phase of the rebuild began in 2023 and included track and drainage improvements between the UIC-Halsted and IMD stations, along with a modernization and accessibility upgrade of the Racine station. The work included a $268-million reconstruction of three miles of track between the IMD station and LaSalle Station downtown.
Design work on a separate two-mile section between Kedzie Avenue and Keeler Avenue has been completed, with construction expected to begin in 2027. The work is expected to receive federal funding through the Reconnecting Communities Program.
AECOM has partnered with three local disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) on the latest contract: DB Sterling Consultants, Facet Engineering and GSG Consultants. The firms account for more than 15 per cent of the contract.
The project is receiving support from a $15.8-million Federal Highway Administration grant through its Carbon Reduction Grant Program. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) applied for the funding on CTA’s behalf, with the two agencies signing an agreement in July to transfer the money.
The track design work is part of a broader effort to coordinate improvements to the Blue Line and the I-290 Eisenhower Expressway corridor. CTA, IDOT and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) established the Connect 290 Blue Program in 2024 to coordinate funding and reconstruction efforts.
More than four million transit riders travel through the corridor annually, while the expressway is among the most congested in the United States.
“The I-290 and Blue Line corridor is among the priority investments the region identified in its recently adopted 2026 Regional Transportation Plan,” said CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman. “This design milestone is an important step toward realizing that vision.”
Much of the Forest Park Branch infrastructure dates to 1958. Although the CTA has carried out routine maintenance and smaller improvements over the years, much of the track and supporting infrastructure has exceeded its expected service life and requires replacement.
