The CTA is renovating the auxiliary exit at the Roosevelt Orange/Green lines station to provide a more convenient transfer between buses and trains, and new amenities for everyone who uses the station.
When this $650,000 project is complete, the auxiliary exit on the south side of Roosevelt Road will become an auxiliary entrance as well, with direct access to the Green and Orange lines on the elevated station platform. The south entrance will include a bright, new building equipped with High-Barrier Gate turnstiles, new lighting, and new signage. This improvement will allow customers to transfer from buses eastbound on Roosevelt Road directly to the elevated station without needing to cross Roosevelt Road, as well as provide more convenient access for residents of the South Loop.
The Roosevelt elevated station opened in 1993, built as part of the Orange Line, with an entrance on the north side of Roosevelt Road between State Street and Wabash Avenue and an auxiliary exit across Roosevelt Road. The main entrance of the elevated station was connected to the adjacent Roosevelt Red Line subway station – which dates from 1943 – in 2002.
Work to renovate and convert the south exit into an auxiliary entrance will continue through summer with completion planned for 4th quarter 2012.
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What are the new features?
As part of the project, the Roosevelt station will receive the following improvements to benefit our customers:
- A new, modern station house built at street level on the south side of Roosevelt Road, improving access from the South Loop and connecting buses, and adding shelter for customers waiting for eastbound buses.
- The rebuilt facility on the south side of Roosevelt Road will be equipped with High-Barrier Gate (HBG) turnstiles, which require customers to already have a valid farecard to enter. Farecard vending machines and staff assistance will continue to be available at the main entrance to the elevated station or in the subway station, both on the north side of Roosevelt Road.
- The entrance doorway of the main station house on the north side of Roosevelt Road will receive a new architectural identity treatment including new signage.
- New CTA “identifiers” will be installed on the elevated track structure over Roosevelt Road, to aid in the visibility of the station when approaching from a distance and to strengthen the station’s identity.
- The renovated south auxiliary entrance will include new lighting, landscaping, and new signage including Braille.
What work was involved?
To stage the construction, the auxiliary exit on the south side of Roosevelt Road must be temporarily closed. This is necessary to allow the old facility to be demolished and the new entrance built safely and efficiently. During construction, the eastbound bus stop that is near the south auxiliary exit will be temporarily relocated east to the southwest corner of Roosevelt and Wabash.
During major construction, customers may exit the Roosevelt elevated station through the main station house on the north side of Roosevelt Road. If transferring to eastbound buses please cross Roosevelt Road at the crosswalk and signal at Wabash Avenue.
When work was completed, the new auxiliary entrance will open, providing convenient access to the Roosevelt Green/Orange lines elevated station on both the north and south sides of Roosevelt Road, and the eastbound bus stop will be relocated in front of the new auxiliary entrance.
What was the project timeline?
This project began in mid-June 2012. Work is anticipated to be complete in the 4th quarter of 2012.
What will the renovated entrances look like?
Here’s are some drawings renderings of the planned look of the new auxiliary station entrance on the south side of Roosevelt Road, and the remodeled entranceway on the north side of Roosevelt Road:
Note: Details in the final design and station construction may differ from this rendering.