No they are replacing the steel viaduct with concrete in the section under the station tube, but they have to somehow swap out the old steel for the new concrete while trains keep running.

Probably shut it down for a weekend, tear out the old steel - and cast the new structure.

Split the Blue Line
 

file:///Users/AndrewWuehler/Desktop/...25.31%20PM.pnghttp://file:///Users/AndrewWuehler/D...25.31%20PM.png

This was just an idea I had. Check the Link to see the Map

The Blue Line O'hare Branch has continuously been gaining ridership, while the Forest Park Branch ridership has declined significantly over the years. And I think my plan could maximize profit for the CTA, by running more trains on the O'hare Branch and less on the Forest Park Branch. The CTA has already shown its dismay with the West Side Branch by running some trains from O'hare only to UIC-Halsted.

And to terminate the two different routes the Forest Park Branch could go to Clark/Lake to cover the Loop. But as for the O'hare Branch I thought maybe it could go around the LaSalle stop and take a right turn north to Union Station.

This would FINALLY connect Ogilvie and Union stations to the Loop and to the 'L' (at least not where you have to walk two blocks).

Now I know the CTA doesn't have the money for this kind of project, but I would love to see them embrace new ideas.

I would love feedback. Criticism? Compliments?

Upload the image to http://imgur.com and paste the url it provides.

Please used on Photobucket.com and you have to upload the pictures. You have to do copy & paste from entire website.

Since you don't know how to post images, your link doesn't work but based on your description I'm guessing you're proposing some sort of subway loop. Which has been proposed before and would possibly (probably?) be part of a Clinton Street Subway, which has been proposed in a number of forms, most recently as part of the West Loop Transportation Center. I think most people agree it would be a good thing.

Another possibility would be to route some Blue Line trains through the Blue/Red connector under Block 37 to Midway. The number of needed Orange Line trains plus the number of needed Forest Park trains is probably close to the number of needed O'Hare trains, so it would actually be pretty useful at balancing that, plus provide 1-seat rides between the airports at just over an hour of travel time, PLUS free up elevated Loop slots during rush hour. It would somewhat complicate Red Line scheduling, but given that the number of Red Line trains is already limited by the junction at Clark/School in Lakeview, that's probably not really a major issue. And that could be done for just the cost of finishing the Blue/Red connector, which I think would mostly just include breaking up the platforms under Dearborn and State Streets so that trains can cross, much less that creating a new subway.

They would might also need to make southbound connecter from the Red line to the Orange line because otherwise theyd have to go through 17th St junction which is near capacity.

There wouldn't be any more trains going through that junction than there are today. Just that Orange line trains would switch to the State St Subway
at the 13th street portal instead of going to the Loop.

Rather than there, the capacity crunch would seem to question would seem to be the State St Subway between Block 37 and Harrison Junction. Can it handle all red line trains plus all orange line trains? If the red line is 20tph peak, while the Orange is what, 8? That makes 28 tph. Which seems like it would be pushing the limits. But if the red line is 15tph peak while the Orange is 8, then that's 23tph which should be possible.

Ok, I assumed in this scenario that the O'hare-Midway line would keep the same frequency as the Blue line.

The problem is, UIC-Halsted, Racine, Medical Center, and Western really need the same train frequency as the O'Hare Branch. I think it is more logical to just move the holding track a few stops westward. Otherwise you are cutting service to a rapidly developing part of the West Side.

This was the main advantage of the pre-Pink Line arrangement where the Blue Line split.

Split the Blue Line Part 2
 

Thanks wierdaaron for the link.

Here the new link for my drawing of the "Split Blue Line"

http://imgur.com/toRoc1q

P.S.
Notice the Dark blue for the West Side Branch and the Light Blue for O'hare.

No, it would get some fraction of the O'Hare branch, with Forest Park branch receiving the other fraction.

Are you sure? I don't think gonna changes. I think they will kept the blue lines and they won't split the blue lines.

I know new elevated structures downtown are probably non starters given the emerging demographics of the area, but I always thought the van Buren El should run all the way west to Paulina and junction with the connector and blue line.


Also a new El would be constructed on Canal between Lake and Van Buren, essentially creating a larger Loop for circulating passengers between the west loop train stations and the growing west loop office population .

orulz, recently you asked me these questions -- and I posted this response: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=11705

Do you (or anybody/everybody) have any comments on my statements there?

btw: Now the probable new Pullman District National Park adds to the locations that could be diectly served by the Gray Line: http://chicagodefender.com/2014/08/2...porter-museum/

Seems to me that two new three-track stub-end subway terminals wouldn't be much cheaper than a full Clinton Street subway (WLTC). The WLTC accomplishes the same thing, puts Ogilvie station on the line, and gives Metra commuters a one-seat ride to Dearborn Street.

What the hell? The Circle name was iconic and descriptive - the ramps literally form a circle in a "Catherine wheel" configuration. Circle connotes a single center point, the navel of the Burnham Plan and the heart of the expressway system.

I do not understand why we need this renaming when other things around town have already been named for Byrne (the Water Tower Plaza)... As usual, renamings are just a way to score free political points. Quinn's remarks at the press conference show that he is trying to appeal to women and LGBT voters...

Byrne, along with J.Thompson, killed the Crosstown exp. this is very appropriate to name the resulting gridlock after Byrne.

They got it right, for once!

"Am I sure?"

What kind of dumb question is that, since we're all talking about imaginary plans anyway, so if I'm talking about my own imaginary plan in that post of course I'm sure.

You beat me to it. Plus, who the heck would want to put their name on a traffic jam? By some measures this is the most congestion-causing interchange in the country. If you're going to name something that's a universal source of anger, maybe John Dillinger Interchange would have been a better place to start.