Note: the 147th Street/Sibley Boulevard Station in Harvey will reopen for service on Oct. 28, 2024. Click here for details.
Metra will close the 147th Street/Sibley Boulevard Station in Harvey beginning May 16 as the agency undertakes a complete redo of the station that will replace the platforms and add an elevator to make the station accessible to people with disabilities. The station is expected to be closed to passengers for 12 to 15 months.
The project is the first major upgrade to the facility in three decades. For the duration of the project, passengers are advised to use either the Ivanhoe Station at 144th Street or the Harvey Station at 154th Street.
“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,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “We apologize for this short-term disruption, but we firmly believe that My Metra riders will be very pleased with the result.”
The project will replace the station’s existing concrete platform with a longer-lasting composite material. The existing headhouse and passenger shelters will also be replaced, and a canopy covering most of the platform area will be added. The new facility will also include elevator access to the platform, making it accessible to people with disabilities.
The 147th Street project also includes significant improvements at street-level, including a new entrance with a covered staircase, converting the gravel parking area near the station entrance to a paved kiss-n-ride and adding bicycle parking. The project will also improve pathways to the main parking lot on the east side of the tracks, and new lighting will be installed on the platform and along the sidewalk under the tracks.
Elgin-based IHC Construction Companies LLC was awarded a $13 million contract for the construction work through a competitive bidding process. IHC has committed to subcontracting 25% of the work to minority and women-owned firms. The total project is budgeted at $20 million with the remainder covering construction management, railroad labor costs and contingencies.
Design and construction of the project is being funded by the state’s Rebuild Illinois program, the Federal Transit Administration, and a Cook County Invest in Cook grant.