UPTOWN — The city’s massive Red Line modernization project is gearing up, with northbound Red Line station closures planned for this weekend.

Beginning Friday night and running through 4 a.m. Monday, northbound Red Line trains will run express between Wilson and Howard stops, Ald. Harry Osterman (48th) said in an update to residents.

A northbound shuttle will run along Broadway between Wilson and Howard this weekend, making stops at every impacted station between those two streets, Osterman’s office said. Southbound service will run as usual.

The station closures are needed as crews begin preparatory work for the $2 billion Red Line modernization project. Work this weekend will include a crane lift to place equipment, as well as excavation, track realignment and the demolition of a manhole, Osterman said.

To make way for the work, Ardmore Avenue will be closed from Broadway and Winthrop, and the closure will last from 9 p.m. Friday though midday Monday. The south sidewalk of Ardmore will be closed, through the north side sidewalk remain open.

The work is part of the city’s ambitious plans to improve Red Line stations on the Far North Side and untangle the Brown and Red Lines in Lakeview. It is the largest capital improvement project in the CTA’s history, according to the transit authority.

Work will be ongoing through next fall, including the construction of temporary stations at Bryn Mawr and Argyle, Osterman said. Weekly weekend work will begin Jan. 10, the alderman said.

The years-long shutdown of Uptown stations are predicted to hit nearby business hard, but Osterman and other city officials are working to make sure they are disrupted as little as possible.

A community meeting will be held on the project in next month. For more information on the first phase of the project, click here.

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