Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently joined Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. and Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld to open the new Washington/Wabash Station as a gateway to Millennium Park.
Constructed between Washington Street and Madison Street, the new location marked the first downtown ‘L’ station to open in the past 20 years and replaces two existing stations that were constructed more than 120 years ago.
The $75 million project is now the first fully-accessible station for disabled persons and is comprised of four elevators, an escalator, and a platform that is wider than most others within the Chicago Loop.
“The new CTA station at Washington and Wabash represents the best of Chicago’s heritage of architectural innovation and ingenuity while creating modern amenities for the thousands of travelers who utilize it every day,” Emanuel said. “We have made unprecedented investments to modernize transportation throughout Chicago, and this new station combines that commitment with our city’s culture.”
Located a short distance from Millennium Park and Jeweler’s Row, the new station is expected to become one of the CTA’s busiest stations from providing rides on the Brown, Purple, Pink, Orange and Green Lines. It was constructed with a “skeletal steel” canopy, providing end-to-end coverage of the station’s platform. It also features a number of surveillance cameras for increased passenger safety.
“This modern, bright and spacious rail station is another important step toward our goal of enhancing public transit options throughout the city,” Carter said. “We are delighted to have partnered with CDOT to create this fully accessible, architecturally significant new station that will serve Chicago and its visitors for decades to come.”