CTA marks 2 major milestones this summer with reconstruction projects in Loop, North Side

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The CTA is marking two major milestones this summer, one of them includes more work to the ongoing State and Lake reconstruction project.

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It's been one year since four rebuilt Red Line stations in Uptown and Edgewater reopened as part of the $2.1 billion Red and Purple Line Modernization project.

CTA says riders have taken 4.3 million trips through the new Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations since they opened.

That is about one million more rides than before the stations were rebuilt.

CTA credits the increase to improved accessibility, larger stations, overall better passenger experience, and more.

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Meanwhile, in the Loop, work continues as part of the massive State and Lake Station reconstruction project.

The 130-year-old station closed in January and is being demolished and rebuilt into a fully accessible transit hub.

The project is expected to last until 2029 and will eventually bring new elevators, wider platforms, improved lighting, a glass canopy and direct ADA access connecting the elevated station and Lake Red Line subway station.

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The work also affects Lake Street between Dearborn and Wabash and Southbound State Street between Wacker to Washington.

This past weekend three busy stations in the Loop were closed because of ongoing construction, another round of weekend work is coming up.

The State and Lake station is one of the CTA's oldest and busiest stations.