The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has announced a 19.6 million USD project to reconstruct the bus bridge at its Harlem Blue Line Transit Facility.
This project will involve the demolition of the current Harlem Blue Line station bus bridge deck, which is more than 40 years old. A new structure will then be built in its place.
The steel and concrete elevated bus bridge spans the width of the Kennedy Expressway and serves as a bus boarding area. It includes a five-lane bus bay with a canopy, alongside a commuter drop-off area. This structure was built as part of the CTA’s O’Hare Branch extension of the Blue Line.
The 19.6 million project to reconstruct the bridge is funded by a mix of state and federal resources.
“As we’ve done for decades and across our system, a variety of maintenance functions have been performed over the years to maximise the longevity of this bus bridge, which is now beyond its useful life and requires full replacement. As part of this year-long project, we are committed to minimising impacts to our bus an rail riders as much as possible, while keeping to an aggressive construction timeline.”
Work will take place through early 2025 and will result in several service impacts for CTA customers. Notably, the west entrance to the Harlem rail station and the adjacent Park & Ride lot will be temporarily closed. Bus routes 88 and 90 will also be temporarily rerouted to make service stops along Harlem Avenue.
