Editing Red Line (CTA) (section)

==Proposed extension==
{{As of|2006|alt=Since 2006}}, proposals have been underway to extend the Red Line south from 95th Street. The CTA developed nine different proposed routes, one of which includes routing the Red Line down the median of the Bishop Ford Freeway and another in the median of Interstate 57. During an alternatives analysis meeting on April 11, 2007, CTA narrowed further study down to five possible routes, two for [[bus rapid transit]] and three for [[rapid transit|heavy rail (rapid) transit]]. The two bus routes would travel south from the 95th/Dan Ryan terminal either down [[Halsted Street]] or [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]], while the heavy rail routes left for consideration were the Halsted and Michigan corridors (either underground or elevated) as well as the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] corridor (elevated or trench), which would traverse southeastward toward the [[South Shore Line (NICTD)|South Shore Line]]. In October 2008, the CTA commissioned a $150,000 study of an extension south from 95th Street to 130th Street in the [[Community areas of Chicago|community area]] of [[Riverdale, Chicago|Riverdale]].<ref>{{cite web|title=RTA Funded Study Looks at the Impact of the Proposed Red Line Extension|author=Regional Transit Authority|date=October 3, 2008|access-date=October 9, 2008|url=http://www.rtachicago.com/CMS400Min/uploadedFiles/10-03-08__RTA-CP_UIC-DCP%20Red%20Line%20Ext_FINAL.pdf|archive-date=May 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523225737/http://www.rtachicago.com/CMS400Min/uploadedFiles/10-03-08__RTA-CP_UIC-DCP%20Red%20Line%20Ext_FINAL.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In December 2008, at the Screen 2 presentation of the federally mandated Alternatives Analysis Study, the possible corridors and modes of transit were furthered narrowed down to either Halsted Street (bus rapid transit or elevated Heavy Rail Transit) and the Union Pacific Railroad corridor (elevated Heavy Rail Transit).<ref>{{Citation |title=Red Line Extension Alternatives Analysis Study |url=http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/alternatives_analysis/redpubpress200812part2.pdf |df=mdy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607004711/http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/alternatives_analysis/redpubpress200812part2.pdf |publisher=Chicago Transit Authority |access-date=January 6, 2009 |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In December 2009, the CTA identified the locally preferred alternative as the Union Pacific corridor.<ref name="eis about">{{cite web |url=http://www.transitchicago.com/redeis/alternatives.aspx |title=About the Project: Alternatives |work=Red Line Extension Project |publisher=Chicago Transit Authority |access-date=December 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107050336/http://www.transitchicago.com/redeis/alternatives.aspx |archive-date=January 7, 2010 }}</ref> A map and description of the route are found at TransitChicago.com.<ref name="eis about" /> Multiple [[Environmental impact assessment|Environmental Impact Studies]] will be carried out, and will determine exact alignments and design.<ref name="eis about"/><ref name="eis schedule">{{cite web|url=http://www.transitchicago.com/redeis/schedule.aspx|title=Project Schedule|work=Red Line Extension Project|publisher=Chicago Transit Authority|access-date=December 17, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108124946/http://www.transitchicago.com/redeis/schedule.aspx|archive-date=January 8, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The alignment consists of a new elevated rail line between 95th/Dan Ryan and a new terminal station at 130th Street, paralleling the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] and the [[South Shore Line]], through the Far South Side neighborhoods of [[Roseland, Chicago|Roseland]], [[Washington Heights, Chicago|Washington Heights]], [[West Pullman, Chicago|West Pullman]], and [[Riverdale, Chicago|Riverdale]]. In addition to the terminal station at 130th, three new stations would be built at 103rd, 111th, and Michigan, and a new yard and shop would be built at 120th Street.<ref>{{Citation |title=Red Ahead: Summer 2013 Newsletter |url=http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/red_ahead/13jn037_-_RX_for_email.pdf |df=mdy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012232359/http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/red_ahead/13jn037_-_RX_for_email.pdf |publisher=[[Chicago Transit Authority]] |access-date=October 11, 2013 |archive-date=October 12, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Basic engineering, along with an environmental impact statement, were underway by 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Red Line Extension Project |url=http://www.transitchicago.com/redeis/default.aspx |access-date=February 25, 2010 |website=Chicago Transit Authority |archive-date=December 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224155450/https://www.transitchicago.com/redext/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In August 2024, the CTA awarded a $2.3 billion construction contract to Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners for the 4-stop extension, with a total project cost (including financing) of $5.3 billion. Construction was expected by the CTA to last from late 2025 to 2030.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 14, 2024 |title=Promised More Than 50 Years Ago, the Red Line Extension (RLE) Project Moves Closer to Groundbreaking with Award of Construction Contract to Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners |url=https://www.transitchicago.com/promised-more-than-50-years-ago-the-red-line-extension-rle-project-moves-closer-to-groundbreaking-with-award-of-construction-contract-to-walsh-vinci-transit-community-partners |access-date=November 15, 2024 |website= |publisher=Chicago Transit Authority}}</ref>