CTA awards Red Line Extension construction contract

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has taken the next major step in the Red Line Extension (RLE) project by selecting contracting team Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners to design and build the 5.6-mile extension of the Red Line from 95th Street to 130th Street, including four new Red Line stations.

The Chicago Transit Board has approved the award of a $2.9 billion contract to Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners following a comprehensive, two-year procurement process.

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 project’s budget has increased to $5.3 billion, which includes financing expenses, to cover cost increases for construction materials, labor and financing. The prior project budget was $3.6 billion before finance charges and $4.1 billion including financing costs. CTA is moving forward with the project to fulfill the long-ago promise to the Far South Side that the RLE would be built. Delaying the project would potentially increase the budget by several billions of dollars. 

“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.”

The contracting team will be responsible for building the Mainline project, which includes the extension of the Red Line 5.6 miles from the 95th Street to south of 130th Street as well as building the four new, accessible stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street, each expected to include bus, bike, pedestrian and parking facilities.

Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners includes Walsh Construction, VINCI Construction, EXP, Systra, and other subcontractors. Construction is expected to start in late 2025 and be completed by 2030. 

The CTA is beginning advance construction work this fall, including demolition of properties acquired for the project and advance utility relocation, which includes removing wires and poles and relocating utility equipment ahead of major construction in late 2025.