The final days of the Loop's Madison/Wabash station are rapidly going by as the station is slowly being picked apart. The old transit stop which dates back to 1896 officially closed in mid March and trains now slip through the station without stopping. Work crews have carefully begun dissecting the elevated station as they work in close proximity to the active tracks. Currently gone are the wood plank platforms as well as the sheet metal canopies, leaving a skeleton of the station's steel structure in view. Scaffolding is now being set up on the sidewalks indicating the heavier demolition of the structure is soon to be begin. The Madison/Wabash station is notable for having the last original station house on the east side of the Loop but will replaced by the new Washington/Wabash station.
Meanwhile in the street below, utility crews have been tearing into the pavement of Wabash Avenue even before the station officially closed. This work is being done to prepare for the construction of the new modern Washington/Wabash station, which will replace both the Madison/Wabash station now being demolished at Madison and the Randolph/Wabash station which will soon meet the wrecking ball. The new $74.8 million station at Washington and Wabash is expected to be open for service sometime in 2016. Meanwhile, as Jeweler's Row loses a significant piece of history, one may take advantage of the extra sunlight and new sight lines to enjoy the decorative facades of this landmarked stretch of Wabash's streetwall. After all work is completed, one original station will remain for now on the Wabash leg of the Loop elevated at Adams Street, albeit in a altered state with modified platform canopies and no historic station houses.
—Shawn Ursini
·A Farewell to The Loop's Madison-Wabash Station [Curbed Chicago]
·Chicago's Newest (and Sexiest) CTA Station Is Well On Its Way [Curbed Chicago]
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