Benzinga | Nov 19, 2021 11:21AM EST

Fluor Reports Its Joint Venture With Walsh Construction Reached First Major Milestone Of Chicago Transit Authority Red, Purple Phase 1 Project By Completing Rail Bypass Structure

First Chicago Transit Authority train travels new bridge

IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fluor Corporation (NYSE:FLR) announced today that its joint venture team with Walsh Construction Company has reached the first major milestone of the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) historic Red and Purple Modernization Phase One Project with the completion of a rail bypass structure that will eliminate a century-old bottleneck on the CTA's Red, Purple and Brown lines. The first train to travel the bypass, where an intersection has slowed traffic for millions of riders over the years, marks a significant step of the major revitalization of CTA's rail system.

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The first commuter train travels the newly completed Red-Purple bypass north of Belmont station, the first major customer improvement milestone completed by a Fluor joint venture for the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Red and Purple Modernization Phase One Project. (Photo: Business Wire)

The Red-Purple Line Bypass is located in a dense, residential and heavily traveled commercial neighborhood a few blocks from Wrigley Field. Due to the tight space and limited options for support columns, the concrete bypass is supported by a 120-ton beam that straddles the track structure below. The Walsh-Fluor design-build team brought notable innovations by building a bridge with fewer support columns without compromising structural strength. Overall, this reduced the construction schedule and impact to the surrounding area.

"Designing and building complex infrastructure projects in populous areas with limited impact to businesses, residents and commuters is a trademark of Fluor's infrastructure business," said Thomas Nilsson, president of Fluor's Infrastructure business. "When complete, this project will improve the quality, safety and reliability with an upgraded transit experience for CTA riders."

The new bypass can now accommodate more trains and passengers per hour and allows for increased train speeds. It replaces steel structure with concrete, closed-deck track and sound walls that reduce track noise to the neighboring community.

The $1.3 billion project is the largest capital project in CTA's history and is scheduled to be completed in 2025.