CTA Unveils Station Renderings for $6B Red Line Extension

• CTA’s $5.75 billion Red Line Extension is moving forward with new station and plaza renderings.
• The 5.6-mile extension will add four stations at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street.
• Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners is designing and building the project, with completion targeted for 2030.

What The Red Line Extension Will Add

The Chicago Transit Authority has released new renderings for the Red Line Extension, giving residents a closer look at the stations and public plazas planned for the Far South Side. The project will extend the Red Line 5.6 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street, adding four fully accessible stations. CTA's current project budget is approximately $5.75 billion, with construction underway and completion expected in 2030.

 

 

What The Four New Stations Will Look Like

The new stations at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street will combine elevated rail platforms with redesigned public spaces below. The station designs draw from recent CTA station improvements, while the plazas will include built-in seating, landscaping, bike parking, Divvy stations and flexible event space. Those areas are intended to accommodate community activities such as farmers markets while creating more usable public space around the stations. CTA is continuing community engagement as the designs advance, giving residents an opportunity to provide input on the plazas and surrounding areas.

 

 

What Walsh-VINCI Is Building

Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners is serving as the design-build contractor for the extension, with Systra-EXP JV listed as designer of record. The contract covers the new rail infrastructure and four stations. The project also includes a train storage yard and maintenance facility near 120th Street, along with park-and-ride facilities and bus connections at the new stations. Construction officially began in spring 2026 after years of planning, federal funding negotiations and property acquisition.

 

 

What The Extension Means For Far South Side Development

The Red Line Extension represents one of the largest infrastructure investments on Chicago's Far South Side in decades. By extending rapid transit to 130th Street and Altgeld Gardens, the project is expected to improve connections between neighborhoods farther south and the rest of the CTA system. For real estate investors, the stations also create potential opportunities for transit-oriented development, particularly around the four new stops. CTA has already completed a Transit Supportive Development Plan for the corridor, highlighting the connection between the transit investment and future neighborhood development. With construction now underway and station designs becoming more defined, the Red Line Extension is moving from a long-planned infrastructure proposal into a visible transformation of the Far South Side.