Completion 2: Blue Line Douglas Branch Reconstruction
Cost: $483 million

Logistics defined the reconstruction of the Douglas Branch of the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line rail system.

It was not easy tearing down rusted, century-old elevated structures and replacing them when workers had only weekends and must make sure the tracks were reopened in time on Monday mornings for 7,000 commuters.

The tracks wind through city alleys, and new construction brushed up against industrial and residential buildings, in some cases less than an arm's length away from a bedroom window.

The focus was to do the work on the weekends so that trains could run during the week.

The heaviest work was done during 45-hour increments. Crews hit the tracks every Saturday at 3 a.m., racing the clock until 1 a.m. Monday.

During that time, they demolished the existing elevated track structures and attached new support columns to beams and girders along the 5 mi. of elevated tracks.

Construction teams were motivated to work quickly, because they faced damages of up to $700,000 if they were more than two hours late completing the weekend work.

Has Eight New Stations

Long besieged by a crumbling structures and slow-moving trains, the Blue Line project included eight new stations, replacement of almost 400 structural spans, almost 200 column foundations and an upgraded signal system.

Station houses between Damen Avenue in Chicago and 54th Street in west suburban Cicero were equipped with elevators for disabled riders and designed so that police in passing squad cars could have a clear view of the stations.

Also new is that the stations sit on center platforms between two sets of tracks, replacing the past stations that were on the track sides.

During construction temporary stations were built to accommodate commuters at five locales along the 6.6-mi. track: 54th Street; Pulaski/Kildare; Central Park/Kedzie; California; and Western/Hoyne.

The completed rail line has shaved 20 minutes of travel time from the end of the stop to the Loop.

Supports had deteriorated so badly that trains were forced to crawl along the dilapidated tracks at 15 mph during the rush hour through the city's Pilsen, Heart of Chicago, Little Village and Lawndale neighborhoods.

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