Kimball-bound Brown Line trains will not stop at the Western station in Lincoln Square from early Thursday until Sunday morning due to ongoing construction. According to signs posted by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and an email from Ryan McCray, director of infrastructure and policy for Alderman Matt Martin, the bypass is scheduled to begin at 3 a.m. Thursday and last until 4 a.m. Sunday. The duration may be shortened if repairs to the station stairs are finished ahead of schedule.
“CTA calls this a ‘ride back’ as the CTA recommends that riders take the Kimball-bound Brown Line one extra stop to Rockwell, where they can ride a Loop-bound train back one stop to then exit at Western,” McCray said in the email.
Recent work at the station included installing and cleaning masonry, with pavement and bus turnaround improvements expected to finish by month’s end, according to McCray. While construction on the easternmost lane of Western Avenue has concluded, sidewalk and bus turnaround projects were delayed because of severe cold weather in January.
The striping for the bus turnaround is planned for spring. Once most of this work is complete, normal operations for bus routes near Western and Leland avenues will resume.
During construction, commuters have used detours for No. 11 and No. 49B buses.
Work on a new public plaza next to the Western Brown Line stop was paused when crews removed their equipment due to last month’s extreme cold but plan to return in spring.
“All renovation work within the Western Brown Line station and the Western Plaza is on schedule to complete in May,” McCray said in his email.
