CHICAGO — A significant construction undertaking is set to commence Monday in the heart of downtown Chicago’s Loop.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) station located at State and Lake will be temporarily closed to facilitate its complete demolition and subsequent rebuilding.
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This development is anticipated to impact thousands of daily commuters who rely on this station for their transit needs.
The station is projected to remain closed for a three-year period while major upgrades are carried out.
“It’s a big inconvenience,” remarked commuter Elizabeth Rauckhorst. “I use the State and Lake stop every day, so this will definitely affect me.”
At 130 years old, the station ranks fifth in terms of ridership among CTA stations. The closure is necessary to make way for its demolition and reconstruction.
Brown, Green, Orange Pink, and Purple Line trains will bypass the station until the project wraps up. Upgrades include adding elevators.
SEE MORE | Our Chicago: Replacing the historic State and Lake CTA station
“The station isn’t accessible to folks in wheelchairs, and we are trying to make it accessible for all our transit riders,” said Anne Zhang, Deputy Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Transportation Division of Engineering.
The platforms will receive a facelift that designers say will improve safety and add comfort to riders.
“If you see the station now, you see it has these very narrow platforms you can barely get by,” said Scott Duncan, partner at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. “January you are out on the platform it’s just freezing so this idea of having a more enclosed weather protective space is fundamental.”
The project is expected to be completed by 2029, meaning people who live or commute to and from the Loop will have to use nearby train stations.
“I’ll probably just go to the Red Line,” commuter Ben Axelrod said. “It’s going to be a little longer, like 10 minutes maybe, just with my walk. It’s going to be interesting.”
Once the station closes, Lake Street will be limited to local traffic only between Dearborn and Wabash.
“It will be worth it in the end I think,” commuter Samantha Calistri said. “I mean if you’ve seen the pictures of what it’s supposed to look like, it’s beautiful. But definitely will be a bit inconvenient for the next couple of years.”
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