CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A train station shared by Amtrak and Metra in Homewood is getting a makeover.
The $29-million project will replace the nearly 100-year-old station and includes upgrades to better accommodate the disabled.
It's being done with a mixture of federal, state, and local money, some intended for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Metra is using: more than $9 million from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning and the Federal Transit Administration; $585,000 from Homewood; and $300,000 from Cook County. Metra's contribution also includes $4 million of its own money.
Amtrak plans to replace the station stairway and add an enclosed ramp, allowing all customers access to the tunnel under the tracks to both the Amtrak and Metra train platforms. Other disability improvements for the former Illinois Central Railroad station include building a level path between the building, parking, and stairway to the tunnel, the Sun-Times reported.
Metra will replace the existing station structure on the east side of the tracks, renovate the 1911 tunnel and create accessible paths from both ends of the tunnel. The 109-year-old tunnel will also be waterproofed and provided with upgraded lighting so it can continue to connect the residential community with the downtown retail district.
Construction work is expected to be done in less than two years.
