More than a decade ago, the CTA began developing the Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Program, a multi-phase program to rebuild aging infrastructure on CTA’s busiest rail line, the Red Line, which provides 40 million rides annually. Phase One work began in 2019 and continued throughout the pandemic. In 2025, all new track and stations were open and serving CTA riders. RPM Phase One included:

• Red-Purple Bypass: construction of a flyover north of Belmont station that allows northbound Brown Line trains to travel over four Red & Purple line tracks. The Bypass eliminated a century-old flat junction that limited CTA’s ability to add train service. The work also fully rebuilt the century-old open deck steel structure with a concrete, closed deck structure and straightened speed- restrictive curves, resulting in two miles of new track.

• Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization: reconstruction of the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr Red Line stations to provide full ADA accessibility. This also included reconstructing the century-old, elevated embankment structure with a precast segmental box girder structure, resulting in six miles of new track, structures, and associated systems infrastructure.

• Corridor Signal Improvements: a new, higher capacity signal system replacing a 50-year-old system with modern equipment that is optimized for the new alignment and infrastructure.

For the Red Line stations rebuilt at Bryn Mawr, Berwyn, Argyle and Lawrence, CTA looked for sought designs that reflected neighborhood
character. All stations were designed for restricted spaces, given the proximity to homes and businesses. All main stationhouses feature glazed terracotta cladding for a bright, clean look. Entrances have abundant glazing, providing profuse natural light and enhanced views into and out of the stationhouses.

The Argyle and Bryn Mawr stations include historic columns that were part of the original stations. Berwyn station includes an entry with a dramatic cantilevered roof and centerpiece column ringed by a radial lighting pattern. Argyle’s design responds to the dynamic businesses in the hub of a largely Asian community, with the station clad in red terracotta, a color representing good luck and prosperity in some Asian cultures. Lawrence, located in a popular entertainment district, includes an asymmetrical façade design to reflect music and movement, with thin LED lighting tracing the station entrances. Both Argyle and Lawrence have programmable panel lighting over the streets.

To soften the look of new concrete track structure, CTA designed track columns that were tulip-like in shape in the area near the rail bypass. The CTA also provided decorative touches to the noise walls along the tracks in both the bypass and Lawrence-Bryn Mawr areas.

RPM Phase One was an extraordinarily complex engineering and construction challenge located in heavily populated neighborhoods.
The project contractor, Walsh-Fluor, used innovative methods that reduced construction time and impacts, including manufacturing precast bridge segments offsite to reduce local construction impact; using an overhead gantry system to build the new elevated track; and relocation of the historic Vautravers residence built in the 1890s to eliminate track curves and increase train speeds.

To provide rail service throughout reconstruction, the work required multiple train reroutes and track reconfigurations in two areas: the Red-Purple Bypass area where Red, Purple and Brown lines converge; and on Red & Purple lines between Lawrence to Bryn Mawr stations.

To increase service capacity, CTA built a bypass near Belmont, reconfiguring a 107-year-old rail junction where Red, Purple and Brown line trains converged. CTA then rebuilt Red & Purple line tracks between Belmont and Addison, straightening the curve that was made possible by the Vautravers relocation. CTA rebuilt Red & Purple lines between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr stations, building two tracks at a time and running service on the remaining two tracks. CTA also rebuilt four new, fully accessible Red Line stations.

Temporary Red Line stations were built to provide rail access during construction.

To date on the RPM project, the incident and frequency rate of recordable safety incidents remain well below the national average – per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Highway, Street and Bridge Construction data.

Through Sept. 30, 2025, the Project Incident Rate – all OSHA Recordable Cases — was 1.95 compared with the BLS – Highway, Street and Bridge Construction (NAICS 2373) 2023 rate of 2.5. The Frequency Rate – OSHA Recordable Lost Time and Restricted Cases – was 1.13, compared with the BLS 2023 rate of 1.60.

One of the most exciting aspects of RPM has been how it has positively touched many lives beyond riders.

The RPM Project awarded $294 million worth of contracts to 114 unique small businesses certified as Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBE). Of those, 53 firms were brand new to CTA.

The RPM Project created 2,979 construction trade labor jobs that paid more than $167 million in wages to disadvantaged workers who qualified under WIOA; lived in Economically Disadvantaged Areas (EDAs) with median incomes under $40K; and first-time trade apprentices.

The project benefitted children. CTA and Walsh-Fluor launched “Elevating Futures” scholarship program that awarded $250,000 of college scholarships to 10 students from disadvantaged communities. Separately, CTA engaged elementary students by holding a “Name the Gantry” contest. The winning entry, Windy City Gantry, resulted in a pizza party for the winning class and the affixation of a giant Windy City Gantry & Goudy Elementary decal on the gantry system.

With hundreds of small businesses located in the RPM Project area, CTA offered a popular and free Open for Business program that supported more than 200 businesses during construction. Local participating businesses earned free videography and photography to promote their businesses, callouts on banners and ads on trains and buses, reels on social media and more.

RPM integrated rebuilding 100-year-old infrastructure with programs that ensured that the project’s contractors and workforce were as diverse as CTA riders and the City of Chicago.

Small business. CTA worked with RPM contractor Walsh-Fluor to develop Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goals for project design and construction. The RPM Project awarded $294 million worth of contracts to 114 unique small businesses certified as DBEs. Of those, 53 firms were new to CTA. In 2019, CTA piloted its Building Small Businesses (BSB) Program to help small businesses develop their capacity to bid on large projects. BSB has assisted more than 100 small businesses with technical and funding assistance, including helping 40 firms in securing $20 million in capital funding.

Mike Seay, President & CEO, Allstate Concrete Cutting Inc., started his company with two trucks and two saws. Allstate Concrete won a contract to provide deep coring work to stabilize elevated rail, wall sign coring and deck coring services. Seay’s business has tripled in size.

Workforce. To identify and train diverse workforce candidates, the CTA partnered with workforce assistance agencies HIRE360 and the Chicago-Cook Workforce Partnership. The project’s workforce goals included Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) hiring; first-time labor apprentice hiring; and hiring from Economically Disadvantaged Areas zip codes with median household incomes of $40,000 or less. The RPM Project created 2,979 construction trade labor jobs that paid more than $167 million in wages.

Jackie McWright served as a construction flagger on RPM, bringing more than 30 years of union laborer experience to her role. The Englewood native was a reliable presence, safely guiding pedestrians, drivers and heavy equipment through active construction zones. She then used that experience to start Zyair Traffic Safety Control Inc. Jackie’s transition to business owner was aided by CTA’s mentor-protégé program and her collaboration with Walsh-Fluor.

The Cubes at ORD is a state-of-the-art 66,552-square-foot industrial warehouse and distribution facility located on a 4.27-acre infill site just southeast of O’Hare International Airport. The project was developed by CRG, designed by LJC and built by Clayco. The multimodal facility offers unparalleled connectivity at Irving Park Road and Seymour Avenue with direct access to I-294 and only one mile from O’Hare’s South Cargo area. Completed on schedule in late 2024, the project has already achieved 100% occupancy, with global air cargo leader Worldwide Flight Services (“WFS”) occupying the entire building. This successful lease-up underscores the strong demand for well-located logistics facilities in the O’Hare market and reinforces the project’s positive impact on the local economy. The Cubes at ORD filled a critical gap in one of Chicago’s most supply-constrained submarkets, bringing jobs and cutting-edge infrastructure to Franklin Park.

The Cubes design lends itself to clean industrial architectural style, while providing modern industrial solutions for its tenants. Despite the utilitarian nature of warehouses, form and function converge here: the design not only meets operational requirements (with a flexible, high-clear span interior for various tenant needs) but also presents a professional frontage along a busy corridor. The building’s modern design incorporates Class A features such as ESFR sprinklers, energy-efficient LED lighting, 20 dock doors, two drive-in doors, 11 trailer stalls, and parking for 70 vehicles. By overcoming challenges such as a high-barrier-to-entry, industrial-infill site, and strict airport-area regulations through smart site planning and design ingenuity, the project achieved an innovative vision: a “smaller, cutting-edge” logistics facility inserted seamlessly into a dense urban logistics hub. This design creativity ensured that The Cubes at ORD delivers exceptional functionality for WFS while enhancing the built environment of the community.

Delivering a high-quality project in this infill O’Hare submarket required meticulous planning and execution, given the complexity of the site, schedule, and adjacency to one of the world’s busiest airports. One major challenge was the limited land area (4.27 acres) in a tightly built-out industrial corridor. The project team overcame this by leveraging Clayco’s design-build expertise: construction sequencing and logistics were carefully coordinated to make the most of the constrained site, from staging materials to configuring the building footprint for optimal flow of trucks and workers. Building immediately adjacent to one of the world’s busiest airports also introduced complexity – crane operations and site lighting had to comply with FAA and local regulations, and the team coordinated closely with local authorities to ensure construction did not disrupt surrounding infrastructure. Despite these hurdles, the project was kept on a fast-track schedule, with completion expected in just months and achieved by Q4 2024. Clayco maintained rigorous quality control and safety protocols, ensured that the highest standards were met throughout this accelerated timeline.

Ensuring top-tier construction quality was paramount. The team utilized proven methods such as precast concrete construction and advanced project management technology to deliver a durable, Class A facility. Regular inspections and an integrated QA/QC program were implemented to uphold excellence in every element – from the flatness of the floor slab (critical for high-volume warehousing) to the installation of the ESFR sprinkler and electrical systems. Furthermore, because this was a speculative development, CRG took on the challenge of building without a pre-committed tenant, which demanded flexibility and foresight in the construction process. The facility was built to accommodate multiple potential users (with a versatile design for demising or single tenancy), and indeed was leased in its entirety upon completion – validating the team’s confidence and careful planning.

The complexity of the project lay in delivering big-project features on a smaller scale without compromise. The Cubes at ORD incorporates all the advanced features of CRG’s larger projects (docks, trailer storage, modern tech) in a fraction of the size, which meant every construction detail had to be executed with precision.

The project logged 21,289 work hours with zero recordable injuries. From the outset, Clayco implemented a proactive safety program built on daily coordination meetings, task-specific planning, and consistent on-site supervision. Clear communication and shared accountability among all subcontractors reinforced a culture where every person took ownership of safe work practices. The result was a seamless build completed without incident, reflecting disciplined execution and adherence to Clayco’s zero-incident safety standards.

The Cubes at ORD filled a critical gap in one of Chicago’s most supply-constrained submarkets, bringing jobs and cutting-edge infrastructure to Franklin Park. The project supported local economic growth by attracting new businesses and providing Class A space tailored for mid-size users that fuel the region’s logistics and manufacturing economy. Clayco and CRG partnered with local subcontractors and workforce programs to promote inclusion and opportunity, ensuring community benefits extended beyond construction through long-term employment and sustainable industrial revitalization.