The Chicago Transit Authority's "Your New Blue" project is getting a big federal boost.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced Thursday a $120 million grant to help with the modernization project of the 12-mile stretch between the Grand and O'Hare stations.
An estimated $25 million of the money will be put toward reconstruction of the Jefferson Park station, which is a major bus/train transfer point on the city's Northwest Side. A new canopy, escalators and a new bus drop area are planned.
The $492 million "Your New Blue" project was unveiled about a year ago, and renovation to three of the 13 impacted stations -- Damen, Western and California -- has already begun. Upgrades to the track aim to shave off 10 minutes off the commute between the Grand station, at 502 N. Milwaukee Ave., and the nation's busiest airport.
The four-year project is the largest investment on the Blue Line since it was extended to O'Hare in 1984.
More than 80,000 people use the O'Hare branch each day, and it had 25 million rides in 2014.
