Milwaukee Ave. at Grayland Station in Old Irving set to open to traffic on July 3

by BRIAN NADIG

Metra expects that Milwaukee Avenue at Kilbourn Avenue will reopen to traffic on July 3, as the rebuilding of the Grayland Station and bridge enters its final phases.

Milwaukee has been closed to traffic for nearly two years, as construction delays have frustrated residents. They have complained about early morning construction noise, increased traffic congestion and damage to their homes from the shaking caused by the work.

“The permit expires July 3. …  The contractor is on target to meet that date,” Metra project manager Kevin Nolan told residents during a May 28 virtual meeting hosted by Alderwoman Ruth Cruz (30th). The meeting was intended to updates on the approximately $38 million project.

Protected bike lanes under the bridge also are scheduled to open on July 3, Nolan said.

Metra is replacing the bridge that carries the Milwaukee District North Line over Milwaukee with a new bridge with new abutments. Grayland Station, just south of the bridge, is being rebuilt with longer platforms, new public address equipment, visual information signs, shelters with on-demand heat on each side, new lighting, and new stairs and ramps, making it ADA-compliant.

As of May 2024, the project was 76 percent complete, according to Metra.

The new bridge is almost complete, with only walkways, railing, and final painting remaining, Metra posted on its Web site. The precast retaining walls are complete and the ramps, stairs, and foundations for the new inbound station are about 95 percent complete, the transit agency added.

The railroad tracks have been shifted to their final location on the new bridge and removal of the temporary bridge is about 90 percent finished, Metra said. Once the temporary bridge is demolished, the street, bike lanes and sidewalk can be restored around the temporary bridge foundations, the agency added.

Additional work to be performed after restoration of Milwaukee includes removal of temporary retaining walls, restoration of the slopes along Kilbourn and construction of the inbound warming shelter and new outbound station, according to Metra.

Signs for the vehicular and bicycle detours will remain in place until the roadway reopens, Metra said. Southeast-bound vehicular traffic on Milwaukee is rerouted south on Cicero Avenue and east on Addison Street back to Milwaukee. Northwest-bound traffic is diverted west on Addison and north on Cicero to Milwaukee.

Bicycle and pedestrian traffic are rerouted along Addison and Kilbourn, and protected bike lanes are in place on Addison during the closure, Metra said.

The project is being funded with $15 million from the Federal Transit Administration, $17.8 million from the Federal Railroad Administration, $2.3 million from Canadian Pacific and $2.9 million in other Metra funding.

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