California Blue Line stop closed for six weeks

SHARE California Blue Line stop closed for six weeks

The Blue Line California station in the Northwest Side Logan Square neighborhood is closed for renovations for the next six weeks.

The station closed at 1 a.m. Thursday and is expected to reopen Oct. 16, according to the CTA. The adjacent Blue Line stations, Western and Logan Square, remain open.

During the closures, the CTA will have additional service on the No. 56 Milwaukee bus line on weekdays and weekends, the agency said. For overnight commuters, a temporary No. N56 California Station Owl route will run between the Logan Square, California and Western stations.

Another alternative may be the city’s Divvy bike-sharing program, the CTA said. Divvy stations are located near the California and Damen stations.

The Damen station will undergo a similar closure from Oct. 20 to Dec. 22, the CTA has said.

The rehab will provide new and additional bike racks and turnstiles, improved lighting and signs, upgrades to the station houses and platforms and new public artwork. Historic features will be preserved and restored.

The California and Damen stations, built in the late 1800s, are among the oldest in the CTA system, officials said. The Western station on the Blue Line also dates to that era, but it underwent a major renovation in 2001, so less intensive improvements to that station will allow it to remain open during construction, officials said.

Streets and alleys will be temporarily closed during station construction, and parking will face additional restrictions. Riders should plan ahead and allow extra travel time, the CTA said.

The $494 million “Your New Blue” project aims to shave 10 minutes off trips between downtown and O’Hare while providing improvements to 13 Blue Line stations. It marks the most comprehensive investment in the line’s O’Hare branch since its extension from Jefferson Park to the airport debuted in 1984.

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