Construction on 147th Metra station to begin next month. Here's what you need to know
The station will be closed for 12 to 15 months as the project is underway, officials announced Monday.
On May 16, construction will begin on an overhaul of one of Harvey’s Metra stations.
The Metra station at 147th Street and Sibley will be shuttered for 12 to 15 months while it undergoes a major rehabilitation, Metra officials announced Monday.
Metra officials advised riders to use the Ivanhoe station at 144th Street in Riverdale or the 154th Street station in Downtown Harvey while the project is underway.
“We understand that closing a station for any length of time can be a major inconvenience for our riders; however, the nature of the project won’t allow us to accommodate passengers during construction,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said. “We apologize for this short-term disruption, but we firmly believe that My Metra riders will be very pleased with the result.”
New elevators, improved lighting, and a canopy covering most of the platform are just a few of the amenities that will greet straphangers at a station that hasn’t been renovated in nearly 30 years.
The existing concrete will be replaced with a more durable, composite material. The adjacent parking lot will be renovated to include a newly paved kiss-and-ride location and bicycle parking.
For years, commuters have complained that dim lighting makes the station a safety hazard. Graffiti lines the walls of the nearby viaduct, which is also showing severe signs of neglect. The passenger shelters are rusting after decades of wear and tear from severe weather.
The project’s total price tag is $20 million, and Elgin-based IHC Construction Companies LLC was awarded a $13 million contract and will subcontract 25% of the work with women and minority-owned businesses, according to a news release.
The remaining $7 million will cover railroad labor costs, construction management, and contingencies. The project is being funded through the state’s Rebuild Illinois program, the Federal Transit Administration, and a Cook County Invest in Cook grant.
The groundbreaking will take place next week, Metra officials told the HWH.
See photos of the station’s current condition here:
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Amethyst J. Davis is responsible for spearheading the growth and development of the HWH, including outlining the editorial trajectory and content. She also produces “The Renaissance Letter,” our biweekly email newsletter, edits content, and fact-checks stories prior to publication Amethyst was an administrator at New York University before launching her journalism career. She is also a member of the Sounding Board, the community advisory board for Chicago Public Media, which includes WBEZ Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times.
In 2022, Amethyst was a Casey Fellow with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Black News & Views, where she covered health and COVID-19 for the NABJ’s newly launched digital news service. She is a sought after speaker on community journalism and has given talks at institutions like DePaul University and the University of Kansas. Amethyst is a regular guest on City Cast Chicago.
She was invited by Harvard University to submit a 2023 Nieman Lab prediction, which taps the smartest in media and journalism nationwide to offer thoughts on the future of digital media. Under her leadership, the HWH has become one of the nation's most-watched hyperlocal newsrooms. The HWH has received national coverage in publications like Poynter, Harvard University's Nieman Lab, the National Press Journalism Club Institute, and Editor & Publisher.
Amethyst is a Brooks Middle School ('11) and Thornton Township High School alum (‘15) and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from NYU (BA'19). She is an alumni of the Data and Policy Summer Scholar program at the University of Chicago.
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