BEVERLY — Metra is hoping a major construction project on its Rock Island district line goes largely unnoticed by Chicago riders.
The commuter rail service will replace nearly 25 miles of ties and track from Blue Island to Joliet starting on Monday.
The project will continue through Oct. 25. Throughout the project, Metra will be operating under a construction schedule.
Delays of up to 10 minutes can be expected during construction. However, Metra is hoping Chicago riders will largely be spared from any inconvenience, said Michael Gillis, a company spokesman.
"The place where riders will encounter delays is largely in the construction zone," Gillis said on Tuesday.
Chicago riders get and off on the train north of the work area. Thus, there should be no problems with trains coming out of the city. For those headed into the city, delays might come as trains have to pass slowly through the work zone before arriving in Chicago, Gillis said.
However, these work zones will largely be empty during rush hours. Most delays are expected to occur for riders who use the train from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekdays as well as on weekends, he said.
Crews will be working seven days a week to replace some 17,500 railroad ties as part of the project.
Gillis said the Chicago stations are certainly busy — particularly at 95th Street, 103rd Street and 111th Street. However, the largest volume of riders pick up the train in the southwest suburbs.
In fact, the 80th Avenue station in Tinley Park is the busiest stop on Metra's Rock Island line, Gillis said.
“This project is a part of the regular maintenance necessary to keep our rail lines in the best condition possible. Tracks and ties are the foundation of the railroad and must be maintained or replaced on a regular basis,” said Metra executive director Don Orseno in a written statement.
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