Chicago Construction News staff writer
The Chicago Transit Board has awarded a contract to F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates LLC for up to $19 million in repairs and improvements for the Western Brown Line station.
Under this new, progressive design-build contract, work associated with the Western Brown Line Rehabilitation project will be split into two stages: pre-construction services then final design and construction.
The contractor was selected for the first stage of work and will be allocated about $2 million to coordinate pre-construction services (surveying, structural engineering and design, etc.). The remaining project funds will be used to cover costs associated with the second phase of the contract, which calls for final design and construction work, and will be put out to bid at a future date.
It’s the first major upgrade of the facility in more than 40 years and part of the Authority’s ongoing “Meeting the Moment” Action Plan.
“I’m proud of the investments we continue to make in modernizing stations across our system,” CTA president Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in a statement. “We know from years of experience just how CTA’s major investments can translate into an even larger investment in our communities and in the people we serve.”
Work will include the replacement of concrete aprons, elevators, and other major building and operational components to help make the rail station and bus turnaround meet current ADA requirements. Other enhancements will include upgraded security cameras and public address system for improved station security, as well as enhanced station access with new curb ramps, sidewalks, and improvements to the walkway to Lincoln Avenue.
By splitting up the project work into two phases, CTA can minimize cost over runs and delays by ensuring all project participants, such as engineers, architects, and contractors, collaborate early in the project planning phase before project plans are finalized.
Although project details are not yet finalized, CTA estimates design work beginning as early as summer 2023, and construction beginning in 2024.
Established as part of the original construction of the Ravenswood branch in the early-1900s, the current Western Brown Line station was rebuilt in 1920 and underwent a major renovation in 1979-1981 to be made fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
