Metra and elected officials broke ground on a project to rebuild the 79th Street/Chatham, 87th Street/Woodruff, and 103rd Street/Rosemoor stations on the Metra Electric Line, according to the agency's news release.

The work includes making all three stations accessible to persons with disabilities.

Metra's Electric Community Initiative

The work is part of the Metra Electric Community Initiative, a multi-year, multimillion-dollar plan to transform 13 stations on the line.

When completed, all three stations will have enclosed, ADA-accessible street-level entrances and lobbies with elevators; new stairs and headhouses; new composite deck platforms; and new lighting and signage.

“Our goal is to bring modern and accessible public transit facilities to these communities, and today is one of the first steps in that process,” said Metra CEO Jim Derwinski. “This project and all the other projects in the Metra Electric Community Initiative program are part of our commitment to My Metra riders to prioritize station improvements and promote transit ridership by creating welcoming and accessible gateways to their communities.” 

Metra's Plan to Complete Project

The work will require each station to be closed for about seven months, with the 79th Street/Chatham closure planned to begin July 10. (Customers can use the 75th St. and 83rd St. Stations as alternatives.)

To reduce the impact on customers, the work will be done in stages so that no more than two of the stations will be closed at one time.

The plan outlined in the contract calls for one station to be closed and work well underway before work begins on the second station. Once the first station is reopened, construction will begin on the third station. 

The $33.9 million contract for the construction work at the three stations was awarded to IHC Construction of Elgin, which has committed to subcontracting 30% of the work to DBE firms.

Metra is funding the work with its share of funding from the Rebuild Illinois capital program.