The elevator at the Western Brown Line station is expected to reopen in April, but bus detours will remain in place until at least June due to continued work on the adjacent bus turnaround, officials said March 27.
The project is part of the 2019 Lincoln Square Master Plan, which aims to improve infrastructure and aesthetics in the area. The plan includes upgrades for pedestrians and cyclists, a new public plaza, and improvements to Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) facilities.
Ryan McCray, director of infrastructure and policy for Alderman Matt Martin (47th), said in an email that the Loop-bound elevator could open as soon as next week. CTA spokesperson Maddie Kilgannon confirmed that once the inbound elevator reopens in early or mid-April, repairs will begin on the outbound elevator. Kilgannon also said work on the bus turnaround was delayed after crews found that structural steel in a station wall was deteriorated and needed replacement. “The CTA has expedited the design and fabrication of the replacement structural steel and received the amended building permit last week,” she said.
Normal operations for buses are now expected to resume by June after canopy work is finished. Until then, reroutes for No. 11 and No. 49B buses will stay in effect according to Kilgannon. Earlier delays were caused by extreme cold weather earlier this year.
Additional updates include LAZ Parking awaiting a permit to reinstall meters at Western Station’s parking lot; these could be operational later this week according to McCray. Traffic signal installation, light pole placement, curb construction, and cleaning under CTA tracks are also underway with pedestrian areas scheduled for cleaning by CTA crews next month.
For more information about ongoing construction projects near Western Brown Line station, residents can visit Chicago Department of Transportation’s interactive ChiStreetWork map.
