CTA Blue, Brown lines to be impacted by weekend construction

Service on multiple CTA train lines will be interrupted by construction over the weekend, while Red Line trains will be impacted by a training exercise.

According to a press release sent out by the agency, service on the Brown Line will be paused between the Kimball and Irving Park stops beginning at 10 p.m. Friday and running through 10 p.m. Saturday.

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According to the agency, shuttle buses will be active and serving stops during that time, with improvements at the Western Brown Line station the cause of the service interruption.

The agency has been renovating the Western station, building longer platforms and improving accessibility at the site, according to the “Countdown to a New Brown” website. Additional turnstiles and other features are also being built into the station to accommodate more travelers and to improve the flow of passengers.

The CTA Blue Line will also have service impacts, with no service between the Illinois Medical District and the UIC-Halsted stations between 10 p.m. Friday and 4 a.m. Monday. Shuttle buses will cover that portion of the route, with stops at Harrison/Peoria, Harrison/Morgan, Harrison/Racine, Harrison/Loomis, Harrison/Ashland and Harrison/Paulina.

The closure is part of an ongoing rebuild of the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line, rebuilding the Racine station to make it fully accessible. The Racine station is expected to reopen toward the end of the year. There is also work being done at the Morgan substation as part of the project, according to CTA officials.

Finally, Red Line trains will be rerouted to elevated tracks on Sunday morning between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. to accommodate training exercises for CTA and the Chicago Fire Department, according to the agency. Shuttle buses will operate between Fullerton and Clark/Lake during that time, with the CTA also operating alternate route options during that time.