CHICAGO, May 18 (Reuters) - Chicago will shut down part of its "L" elevated rail system's busiest line for five months starting on Sunday, forcing thousands of commuters to seek other routes and creating the biggest such U.S. transit disruption in two decades.
The nation's second-largest public transit system after New York will rebuild 10 miles (16 km) of the "Red Line" on the city's South Side, which passes through some predominantly poor and African-American neighborhoods.
It will be the biggest U.S. public transit disruption for construction since the early 1990s, when another Chicago rail line closed for more than a year for repairs, according to Joseph Schwieterman, transportation professor at DePaul University in Chicago.
"It's going to be a long slog for people," said Schwieterman. But he and other transit experts agreed that a total shutdown for five months is better than four years of weekend repairs on the elevated line, which serves 80,000 people a day.
"I think it's the absolute best way to do it," said Robert Paaswell, a civil engineering professor at City College of New York, who headed the Chicago Transit Authority in the 1980s.
Chicago's "L" elevated trains have featured in numerous movies and television shows including the films "Blues Brothers," "Risky Business," and "Ocean's Eleven," and the NBC medical drama "ER."
Transit officials said the Red Line is more than 40 years old and needs full replacement, including ties, rails, drainage systems, and "ballast," - the stones and earth that hold the ties in place. The project, which will include station upgrades, will cost $425 million in state and local funding.
Doing the project all at once - "ripping off the Band-Aid" - will save $75 million compared with doing it over four years, CTA President Forrest Claypool said.
He said the repairs would shave as much as 20 minutes off the average commute. Trains on the line currently go as slow as 15 miles per hour (24 km per hour).
"People recognize it's a very slow, substandard service and progress doesn't come without a little bit of pain," Claypool said.
Hundreds of bus drivers and tradespeople have been hired, mainly from the area of the city inconvenienced, to help with the project and provide alternative bus routes for commuters.
The idea of doing it all at once fits the current trend among government agencies for transit and highway projects, according to Joseph Schofer, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern University. He compared it to the five-month shutdown of the Waterloo and City line on the London Underground in 2006.
"There are a lot of advantages from the point of view of getting the job done more quickly, cheaply and safely," said Schofer. "It's not something riders will be happy with."
Another rail track, the Green Line, runs parallel to the Red Line for part of the distance, so commuters will be able to use those trains, plus free shuttle buses for the remaining distance, Claypool said.
Candice Davis, 22, fears the project will double her commute time from the southern suburbs to downtown Chicago. "If I'm late, then that's money off my check."
But Davis said she did look forward to the upgrade. "They need to work on this," she said. "Make it more efficient, make it safe." (Reporting by Mary Wisniewski and Renita D. Young; Editing by Greg McCune and Eric Beech)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.