CTA Reaches Milestone with Red Line Extension Moving Closer to Groundbreaking

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is moving forward with its Red Line Extension (RLE) project with the approval this week of a $2.9 billion contract to Walsh-VINCI Transit Partners.

RLE is the largest project in CTA history and will provide faster connections from the Far South Side to the rest of the city while serving as an economic catalyst to one of the most disinvested parts of Chicago. The RLE is a transit equity project that fulfills a commitment to the Far South Side by significantly improving transportation to this part of the city with 5.6 miles of new track and four new fully accessible rail stations at 103rd, 111th, Michigan near 116th and 130th Street.

The RLE is a critical project for Chicago because:

• The Far South Side is the only area where CTA’s rail rapid transit service stops short of the city border.
• Communities here are largely populated with low-income, minority residents.
• For more than 50 years residents have been promised the line would be extended.

“The Red Line Extension corrects past transit inequity and increases access to the most affordable transportation in the city. Hiring the contracting team that can provide the best value to the CTA to construct the RLE is a consequential step that demonstrates our vow to build this project,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “The CTA’s Red Line Extension Project is an example of how transportation dollars can be distributed to have lasting impact on the Far South Side including workforce and small business opportunities that create jobs and support families.”

Construction is expected to start in late 2025 and be completed by 2030.