In just about an hour and a half, the newly rehabbed Argyle Red Line Station will be open for business. This afternoon, the CTA workers were busy making it all spic 'n' span for the public. They seemed very proud of it, and well they should. It's such a difference from the gloom of the previous station, and the storefronts beneath it are a far cry from the leaky ones that existed before.
Work will continue on the viaducts and tracks through the end of the year to make it a safer and faster ride.
Work is being done on the Lawrence station now, and that station is set to close for six weeks on October 14th.
You can another photo on the 48th Ward Facebook page, and of course CTA Station Watch has all the details on the Red Line rehab.
PS. I spoke to several of the workers today, and they were happy about the difference they'd made to the Argyle station. When I mentioned Lawrence was coming up, they looked much less happy. "Lawrence sucks," one said. We have full faith that it won't when they're done with it.
I trust they're going to build an actual station house at Lawrence. I've never quite understood the open-air style of that station.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure they clearly answer one way or the other, but this is what's on the CTA's website:
ReplyDelete* * * * * * * *
What we’re doing to improve Lawrence:
The Lawrence station will receive improvements to the viaduct over the street, the trackwork through the station, the station house and the platform. Enhancements will include:
* Concrete repairs, painting and sealing/coating of the viaduct
* Upgraded lighting under the viaduct
* New station interior finishes (i.e. walls, flooring, ceiling), lighting and signage
* Improved station house interior layout/circulation
* Sidewalk repairs and new bike racks outside of the station house
* New platform foundations, decking, fixtures and furnishings
* Refurbished canopy structure
They're doing a better than expected job with these quick fixes. Wilson should be stunning if they're able to make these station look so good so quick.
ReplyDeleteNo, Scott and Mike, there will not be a real station house at Lawrence, only an improved version of the current fenced-in area at ground level. The old station house was removed in 1995 to make way for work on the track structure. CTA has told us at CTA Station Watch that a new indoor structure is not in the cards for this round of work.
ReplyDeletehttp://ctastationwatch.com/Lawrence
And yes, Alek, the CTA and its contractor Kiewit Infrastructure are doing very nice work indeed on these station "facelifts." That and new stations at Wilson and Bryn Mawr are going to give a big lift to North Side neighborhoods.