Feds more than double funding for first year of Red Line Extension project

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Federal officials have announced they will more than double the amount of funding they will provide next year to launch the CTA's Red Line Extension project.

The Biden administration is setting aside $764 million in funding in 2025 to extend the Red Line further south – up from the initial pledge of $350 million announced last year.

"This is a game-changer for the South Side of Chicago," Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement on the additional federal funding.

The CTA's $3.6 billion project would extend Red Line service 5.6 miles south, from its current terminal at 95th Street to 103th Street. It would also add four new proposed Red Line stops south of 95th Street: 103rd Street and 111th Street near Eggleston Avenue, Michigan Avenue near 116th Street, and 130th Street near the Bishop Ford Freeway.

It's the largest transit project in CTA history.

The CTA has estimated the project could reduce public transit commute times significantly for the Far South Side.

According to the CTA, a trip from 130th Street to 95th Street would take 12 minutes, with a trip from 130th Street to the Loop taking approximately 40 minutes. That would be 30 minutes faster than taking a bus trip to 95th Street to get downtown, or about an hour faster roundtrip.

Advance work on the project is already underway, with construction expected to begin in late 2025.

The CTA is expecting a total of approximately $2 billion in federal funding over the life of the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2029.