CLEVELAND — There's a multi-million dollar project underway to improve the East 79th Street Rapid Station along the Red Line.
The goal of the project is to make the rapid station ADA-compliant and to solidify its role in the development of the opportunity corridor.
The new station will feature easy access to the train platform through a series of ramps.
The Greater Cleveland RTA opted to go this route to save some cash as an elevator system would have nearly doubled the $8 million project.
The new platform will also accommodate three-car Red Line trains, allowing for riders to easily get on and off the trains.
Featuring new signage and safety measures, the station itself will be tied into a completely revamped plaza that ties in with bus service along the much-anticipated opportunity corridor.
"This opportunity corridor area is something that the infrastructure investments that ODOT is performing, that we're performing and that the city of Cleveland is performing, we really look for that to be a catalyst for the redevelopment of this area... and we want to have this station ready for when that happens," said Mike Schipper, deputy general manager of engineering and project management.
The location of the work will require some weekend shutdowns of the red line to allow crews 48-straight hour blocks to complete some of the work. The next shutdown of the Red Line is scheduled for Aug. 22 and 23.
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