Commuters bound for the Near West Side and the Illinois Medical District need to be prepared as some CTA Blue Line stations will be temporarily closed for redevelopment.
Starting Sunday at 3:00 a.m., CTA will begin the first phase of Redevelopment of the Forest Park Branch which will help eliminate delays to Blue Line train services and will improve accessibility for residents with disabilities.
Clinton, UIC-Halsted and Racine stations will be closed until the end of August, CTA officials said.
Trains will still operate between O'Hare and LaSalle stations and between Forest Park stations and the Illinois Medical District.
To help mitigate some of the impact, the CTA will add railcars to the Green Line — which runs parallel to the Blue Line.
During this time, fares on the Pink and Green lines will be halved, said CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski. Free bus rides will be available at all route stops between the Green and Pink lines from Ashland to Austin.
A bus shuttle will operate 24/7 throughout the project and an express shuttle between Jackson and IMD will be available during peak hours in the morning and evening.
“We take every step to inform customers about the project and the possible service impact,” said Hosinki.
Hosinski says customers should plan ahead and consider testing alternative routes before the project starts so they're ready.