The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has been granted $1.97 billion from the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program for a 5.5-mile extension of the CTA’s Red Line. The $1.97 billion represents the largest transit infrastructure federal grant secured by the CTA in its history and will allow the authority to secure the remainder of funding needed for the project which is reported to cost $5.7 billion in total.
The project will extend the Red Line by 5.5 miles, connecting Chicago’s South Side to the entirety of the CTA system. The FTA has estimated that 24% of residents in the project corridor live below the poverty level and 25% of residents spend over one hour per day commuting to work. Upon completion, the extension should save those riders at least 20 minutes in commuting time.
The CTA estimates the extension project will generate economic opportunities, including the addition of 25,000 jobs in Cook County and approximately $1.7 billion in real estate activity throughout the project corridor.
In August 2024, Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners, an experienced team of design-build transit and rail infrastructure experts, were awarded the contract to design and build the Red Line Extension (RLE) project.
Groundbreaking is expected in early 2026 with the new extension, including 4 new stations at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street, expected to be completed and come online in 2030.