From The Office Of Alderman Harry Osterman

December 11, 2019

Dear Neighbor:

We have been gearing up as a community for the last two years in preparation for the CTA Red Purple Modernization project. This week, crews began preparatory work on the tracks and embankment between Thorndale and Ardmore. This work is expected to continue through autumn of 2020. Other work taking place in 2020 will include demolition of the Northside Toyota building on Broadway, construction of temporary stations at Bryn Mawr and Argyle, and additional embankment work. Click here to view a brief overview of the RPM project.

Weekend Work near Ardmore – Friday, Dec. 13 through Monday, Dec. 16

Work will take place around the clock this weekend, through 4am on Monday. Work will include a crane lift for equipment and materials, excavation, demolition of a manhole, and track realignment and tamping. There will be noise associated with this work.

Ardmore will be closed between Broadway and Winthrop, beginning 9pm on Friday, and reopening midday Monday. During this closure, the sidewalk on the south side of Ardmore will be closed, and the sidewalk on the north side of Ardmore will remain open. Additionally, access to parking off of Ardmore will remain open during this work. The alley between Thorndale and Ardmore will be closed to through traffic.

Northbound Ridebacks – Wilson to Howard

During this work the Red Line will run express northbound between Wilson and Howard, southbound service will run as usual. There will be a northbound Broadway shuttle service between Wilson and Horward, stopping at all impacted Red Line station streets this weekend.

Weekend Work near Ardmore – Beginning January 10, 2020

Crews will begin weekly weekend work in January. This work will involve the installation of an underground duct bank below the tracks. This will include excavation, vibratory-driven sheet metal installation, and the use of cranes and trucks to lift and haul equipment, materials, and excavation waste. This work will take place around the clock, beginning Friday and concluding at 4am on Monday. There will be noise and vibrations associated with the work.

There are expected closures on Ardmore for this work, with the same impacts as listed above. A sidewalk will always remain open and crews will always maintain access to parking off of Ardmore. We will share more specific information on the impacts of this work in January.

Station Closures – Granville, Thorndale, Bryn Mawr

During this work, the Red Line stations at Granville, Thorndale, and Bryn Mawr will be closed for service from Friday at 9pm through Monday at 4am. Riders will not be able to access the platform at these stations, and trains will not make stops at these stations during this time.

Community Meetings

In January the CTA, Walsh-Fluor, and my office will host a series of community meetings and open houses to share information about upcoming work, including details about block-by-block parking impacts, construction timeline, and ways to stay informed during construction. I will share details on the dates and locations of these meetings when they are confirmed.

It is critical that we work together as a community to get through the impacts of the RPM construction. My office is working closely with our local Chambers of Commerce and the CTA to support our transit-oriented businesses while they are impacted. It will be important that we, as neighbors, take the extra step to support impacted businesses during construction.

Please email ally@48thward.org with any questions about this project.

Sincerely,

Harry Osterman
Alderman, 48th Ward