CTA Blue Line Status

Location: 3-mile segment of the Blue Line between LaSalle and Illinois Medical District (IMD) / Halsted Street and Damen Avenue.

Project: Total replacement of the 1958-era track bed, ballast, ties, and underlying drainage system to remove severe “slow zones” where trains were restricted to operating at low speeds for safety. A $105 million track reconstruction contract was awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure for the project. The project was completed on schedule in October 2023 and eliminated major slow zones along that section

Location: Provides accessibility upgrades for non-accessible stations along the Blue Line’s Forest Park Branch: Racine, Pulaski, Cicero, Austin, Western, Kedzie and Harlem.

Project: The CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program will make every Blue Line Station vertically accessible to riders with disability by 2038. This comprehensive plan, which was launched in 2018, outlines both short-term and long-term station accessibility project plans, including station concepts, cost estimates and phasing.

Current Status: To date, the Racine Station is completed. The station is vertically accessible with elevator access and reconstructed station features. The Pulaski Station is designed and funded for construction. Cicero and Austin are funded for planning. Western, Kedzie and Harlem Stations are not funded at this time.

Location: 430 S. Racine Ave., Chicago, IL (along the I-290 corridor).
Project: The Racine Station Project is a major modernization converting the historic 1958 Racine Blue Line station into a fully ADA-accessible modern transit hub. The project included a fully rebuilt main stationhouse at Racine Avenue, adding a new elevator, ADA-compliant ramps, widened platforms with steel canopies, and new stairwells.

Current Status: Using state funding from the Rebuild Illinois capital plan, and federal grants dollars from the CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program, a $75.4 million construction contract was awarded to F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates, LLC to complete the project. The main station was reopened October 10th 2025. The Loomis Street auxiliary entrance and remaining traction power work will be completed in 2027.

Location: Blue Line track replacement between Kedzie Avenue and Pulaski Road in Chicago’s East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park neighborhoods.

Current Status: The project has received a $111 million from the USDOT Reconnecting Communities Grant Program. The project replaces more than 10,000 feet (nearly 2 miles) of track bed, rail, and ties along the Forest Park Branch of the Blue Line. The project eliminates severe slow zones, improves travel times, and boosts safety along infrastructure originally constructed in 1958. Major trackwork is tentatively scheduled to begin in Summer 2027.

Location: Thirteen miles of track from the Illinois Medical District Station to the Forest Park Station.

Current Status: DOT applied for federal funding on the CTA’s behalf and secured a $15.8 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration, announced in July, 2026. This funding will be used as part of the $28 million needed to complete the design phase for future track and drainage reconstruction for the Blue Line. Additional funds will be provided by IDOT and state/federal sources from the CTA. The grant will be used for design work for the planned total removal and replacement of more than 13 miles of track bed, rail infrastructure, and underlying drainage system.