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Metra Commuter Parking Lot Work Begins


Metra parking lot plan

The Matteson Station East Parking Lot resurfacing update board – Click image for detail. (Graphic: VOPF)

Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– In advance of work to build the Matteson railroad track connections between CN’s main north-south line and the EJ&E, the commuter parking lot on the east side of Metra’s Matteson station south of Front Street will be repaved and reconfigured this fall. The work, which began Monday, will be completed in several phases. The parking lot will remain open during construction, but portions of the lot will be unavailable as the project progresses.

The station ramp and stairs entrance will remain open throughout the project.

The first phase of repaving will affect the southeast portion of the lot. Each phase is expected to take several days, and advance notice will be provided as construction moves forward so that parked cars will not block the progression of the project.

A variable message sign will be in place prior to the beginning of construction, informing motorists of the project and reminding them that the lot will remain open at all times. Additional informative signage will be provided at the station’s east entrance for interested users to understand how the work will progress.

When complete, the updated parking lot will have a large, reconfigured “kiss and ride area,” designed for bus access should that service become available, a new pedestrian ramp and stairway from the parking lot to the station, and an updated parking fare collection system. Traffic will enter and exit the finished lot at the current locations.

The reconfigured parking lot will have room for 586 vehicles, including 14 handicap parking stalls. The new lot will also feature a large retaining wall, which will be covered with murals by the Village of Park Forest. The project also includes a continuously updated Electronic Message Board located at a yet to be determined off-site location to indicate how many remaining parking spots are available at all times.

This is the first of several improvements being done as part of CN’s integration of the EJ&E. Future work will include the creation of new track connections at this location, linking CN’s north-south tracks to the EJ&E’s east-west tracks just south of the parking lot. Site preparation for that project will begin as the parking lot repaving completes.

For complete details on the CN/Park Forest deal, please visit the following page: http://www.villageofparkforest.com.


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