New CTA Blue Line Illinois Medical District station opens Tuesday

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A long-awaited renovation on a busy CTA Blue Line train station finally wrapped up Tuesday morning.

The Illinois Medical District station near Ogden Avenue and West Harrison Street remained open during its two-year renovation.

It's a very popular stop. The city said it is the third-busiest station on the Blue Line's Forest Park branch, with more than 1 million entries last year. The stop provides key connections to four major hospital systems, including Stroger and Rush.

CTA riders will now see many improvements, including a new station house on Ogden, a new elevator, new platform lighting and security cameras. All three entrances were upgraded, along with the station ramp.

"I really don't pay attention to the outer - the looks of the train. I think that all the trains and the security of that is much more important than what it looks like outside," said Kimberly Gavin, a CTA rider.

This was the largest makeover of the station since it opened more than 50 years ago. The project cost $23 million.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel officially open the new stop Tuesday morning.