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CTA construction report: Red Line Extension moves toward spring openings; DBE participation highlighted
Summary
CTA infrastructure staff updated the board on substation commissioning, station enclosures and Red Line Extension station work, and reported that 121 unique DBE firms have been awarded roughly $289 million in RLE design and construction packages, with DBEs paid about $188 million so far.
Bill Mooney, CTA chief infrastructure officer, and Juan Pablo Prieto, director of diversity programs, briefed the board on construction progress and equity/workforce metrics for the Red Line Extension and other capital projects.
Mooney said commissioning work is underway at Canal, Barry and Damon substations and that the team is moving from major infrastructure to traction power equipment installation. He gave progress photos and schedules for multiple stations and said a set of stations (Bryn Mawr, Berwyn, Argyle, Lawrence) are planned to open together next year after signal commissioning and track cutovers.
Prieto reported that, as of the end of October, 121 unique DBE firms have been awarded more than $289,000,000 in RLE design and construction packages; 54 firms are new to CTA and DBEs have been paid more than $188,000,000 to date. He said the prime contractor (Walsh Vinci Transit Community Partners) is on track to meet workforce goals and that CTA will continue outreach, certification drives and pre‑apprentice fairs to expand participation.
Why it matters: The Red Line Extension is CTA's largest capital project in agency history and staff framed the construction milestones and DBE/workforce engagement as central to the project's economic benefits for the far south side.
Next steps: Staff will continue commissioning substation equipment, progress station finishes through winter, and prepare for coordinated openings and service cutovers in the coming months.
