The CTA's New Loop Superstation Is Opening Next Week At Washington & Wabash
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Aug 22, 2017 9:26PM
Photo by Rachel Cromidas/Chicagoist
After more than two years of traffic snarling construction at the intersections of Wabash Avenue and Madison and Washington streets, the CTA's new Loop 'superstation' is just about ready to open.
The Washington & Wabash station is poised to replace both the somewhat dilapidated Madison & Wabash station, axed back in 2015, and the still-operating Randolph & Wabash station. The CTA has been building the new, $75 million station since the spring of 2015, and the completed project will be known for its a visually-interesting "undulating wave" canopy, which is supposed to be a nod toward the historic Jeweler's Row, a collection of diamond and jewelry stores on Wabash Avenue that have been dealing with disruptions from the construction all year.
The Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld announced Tuesday that the station is scheduled to open Aug. 31, DNAinfo reported, just ahead of the typically-busy Labor Day holiday weekend. The CTA station is expected to serve some 13,000 riders daily, similar to other Loop stations that serve the Brown, Purple, Pink, Green and Orange CTA lines, meaning it will likely be one of the stations busiest in the city.
Of course, this schedule doesn't mean the construction is over for the Wabash Corridor; once the Washington/Wabash station is up and running, the CTA will turn to dismantling the Randolph/Wabash station a block north.
[H/T DNAinfo]