Purple Line riders can expect a slower commute for much of this spring, when the CTA suspends express service on the route for construction on the Wells Street Bridge.

Purple Line express service will be suspended from March 1 through 11 and again from April 26 to May 1, according to a statement from the CTA. Crews from the Chicago Department of Transportation will use that time to rebuild parts of the 90-year-old bridge, while CTA crews will simultaneously replace the tracks. 

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During that period, Purple Line local service will continue as regularly scheduled between Linden and Howard, but commuters must transfer to the Red Line at Howard Street, according to the CTA. 

Because the bridge construction will also necessitate suspension of Brown Line service during the same time periods, the CTA is warning commuters that the Red Line will likely be very crowded at that time.

“CTA strongly encourages its customers to plan ahead for longer commutes by leaving earlier, changing travel patterns or considering alternative service,” the agency said in a statement on its website. 

To find out more about how the track work and bridge reconstruction will affect service, visit the CTA website.