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CTA Weekend Closings: Second Verse Same As The First

By Marcus Gilmer in Miscellaneous on Jun 6, 2008 8:36PM

2008_06_06cta.jpgIn what is now a weekly right of passage, the CTA is doing all kinds of stuff to the train lines this weekend. Which is fine, because there's really not much going on this weekend besides all the street fests, Blues Fest, Printers Row Book Fair, the Sox home games, and all the tourists in town. We know it's all for the greater good and many of the reroutes are during off-peak hours, but that doesn't mean it won't affect anyone. Here's a quick summary of what's happening with each line this weekend.

Blue Line: If you have a red-eye out of O'Hare or have to go northbound, requiring you to hop on at the Jefferson Park station, you'll need to board on the southbound platform as all northbound trains will be rerouted to the southbound tracks at the JP station to allow for slow zone elimination work. And this means everyone else should allow some extra time as well because we all know how backed up single track operations can get. This reroute lasts from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next morning tonight and tomorrow night, Saturday, June 7.

Brown Line: Closing down certain stations was mean enough. Now we're dealing with another set of strange reroutes and half-closings. For instance, from 10:30 p.m. tonight until 12 p.m. tomorrow, there will be no northbound service at the Diversey station, nor will northbound trains stop there. In addition, all southbound trains at the Addison and Southport stations will be rerouted to board on the northbound platforms from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. the next morning on both Saturday night, June 7, and Sunday night, June 8.

Green Line: No, not even you are immune to this latest plague of reroutes, Green Liners. There will a temporary reroute of southbound trains at the Central and Laramie stations. Southbound trains will board on the northbound platforms at both stations from 10 p.m. Sunday night, June 8, until 4 a.m., Monday, June 9.

Red Line: The elevated tracks have become the Red Line's weekend home in the Hamptons. Per usual, the Red Line will operate upstairs in both directions between Fullerton and Cermak-Chinatown from 9 p.m. tonight until 3 a.m. on Monday, June 9, confusing unsuspecting tourists and hapless locals for another weekend.

Yellow Line: Ah, poor Skokians (Skokie-ites? Skokans?). Once again, Yellow Line service is being suspended for a weekend. The closure lasts from 11 p.m. tonight until 4 a.m. Monday, June 9. Railroad grade crossings are being replaced for track maintenance. Use the #97 bus.

Photo by jake.merten