The big news: CTA will replace the area’s aging signal system with a modern one, saying it will get more trains on the track and let them move faster than existing trains on the Red Line and Purple L ine .

CTA board members approved selecting the Walsh Group and the Fluor Corporation for rebuilding the Red and Purple Line Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr CTA stations in Chicago’s Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods.

Conceptual rendering of a reconstructed Bryn Mawr station (Chicago Transit Authority photo)

According to the CTA, this is the largest contract in their history, and one of largest in Chicago history.

More details:

CTA will eliminate the intersection between the Brown Line and the Red Line near the Belmont station in Lake View. Up to eight more Red Line trains per hour should be able to pass through here during rush periods. The project is great news for Cubs fans who use the Red Line to reach Wrigley Field. They can look forward to getting through this area at speeds 60 percent faster than normal. Originally built in 1907, this antiquated and now-unnecessary intersection currently creates a lot of pain for commuters.

between the Brown Line and the Red Line near the Belmont station in Lake View. During the procurement process, the CTA says they worked with contractors to find new technical concepts to try to minimize impacts on service during construction.

Conceptual rendering of a reconstructed station interior (Chicago Transit Authority Photo)

A little humor leads to an interesting answer: During a post-meeting interview, a reporter asked, “What is the current condition of the four-track [intersection]?” a flat reply came back from a senior CTA official: “End of service life.”

Brian Steele, CTA VP of Communications and Marketing quickly jumped in — “A lot of the tracks on the North part of the Red Line — and structure — are about a century old. They’re well past their useful life. They’re safe and they’re well-maintained but the time has come to reconstruct them, we can’t simply continue to patch them.”

This is not the Walsh Group’s first CTA project, CTA’s Vice President of Infrastructure Chris Bushell told Chicago Transit News. “Walsh brings with it the successful completion, the recent successful completion of the Wilson station, on-time and on-budget.”

Art installation “Arpeggio” hangs from the ceiling at the

Red Line Wilson Station. The work was created by Sri-Lankan Cecil Balmond, who was selected from a pool of more than 200 artistic submissions. (Chicago Transit Authority photo) (Chicago Transit Authority Photo)

The second vendor, the Fluor Corporation, comes to CTA with their work on Denver and Washington D.C. public transportation systems in their portfolio.

What’s next: Major construction is set to begin in late 2019, and station closures will begin in 2020, depending on the contractors’ schedule.