April 03--CTA Brown Line trains will operate in the Red Line subway tunnel for 13 weekends this year, starting April 10, to enable crews to do track work on a 2-mile section of the elevated structure between the Armitage and Merchandise Mart stops, the transit agency said Friday.
The next phase of $90 million in rehab work on the 115-year-old stretch of track called the Ravenswood Connector is focused on reducing slow zones and improving comfort and reliability for the more than 40,000 riders who use the Brown and Purple/Evanston Express lines to and from downtown each weekday, the CTA said. The track work follows repairs that fortified the "L" structure, officials said.
The first weekend service change will be from 8 p.m. April 10 through 4 a.m. April 13, officials said.
During each weekend that is affected by the service changes, Brown Line trains will run on Red Line subway tracks between Fullerton and Roosevelt and make all Red Line stops. The Evanston Express, which shares the Brown Line tracks from about Belmont to the Loop, runs on weekdays only.
For service to and from the Armitage, Sedgwick, Chicago and Merchandise Mart Brown Line stations, free shuttle buses will operate between Fullerton and Clark/Lake, making stops at or near the affected stations, officials said.
In addition, a shuttle train will operate around the Loop, providing connections between Brown Line service in the subway to all Loop elevated stations, as well as to shuttle buses at Clark/Lake.
Work will not occur during major events and summer festivals, officials said. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
jhilkevitch@tribpub.com
