New Green and Pink Line Stop in West Loop

The new CTA station will be built between Clinton and Ashland

Oprah may have one of the most popular television shows on TV, but getting to her studio is a pain in the butt.

That should change starting in 2011 when the CTA opens a new Green/Pink line stop between Lake and Morgan Streets. The additional stop will make the West Loop neighborhood – and the famous talk show host’s Harpo Studios – much more accessible.

The city opened bids for the new station last week and is expecting the construction costs to be anywhere between $35 million and $40 million, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Part of the $8 million price tag will be covered by federal funds guaranteed from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program. The rest of the funds will come from taxes.

The new stop would provide the growing neighborhood just west of the Kennedy Expressway a more rapid connection to the Loop. Right now, residents are stuck in between the Clinton and Ashland stops, which are more than a mile apart.

“That West Loop area has really seen significant growth, both commercial and residential, over the past 15 years,” Chicago Department of Transportation spokesman Brian Steele told the Tribune.

“There is a huge influx of condo conversions and new businesses, and this station will help serve that growth,” Steele said.

Both Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) and the Randolph/Fulton Market Association are in support of the new station, which would serve up to 3,000 workers going to the area each day.

Not to mention it would help tourists and visitors get around the city if Chicago wins the 2016 Olympics on Friday.

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