Constant Construction Noise At Addison Red Line Stop Has Wrigleyville Neighbors Sleep Deprived
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Imagine hearing the loud noise of jackhammers and other heavy construction equipment for much of the day, and at night while you're trying to sleep.
That's the reality for people living near the Addison station on the CTA Red Line, and some said their concerns are being drowned out.
"It's a lot of drilling and banging noises. It's pretty constant," said Allie Judge, who lives along the Red Line in Wrigleyville.
Judge said she's used to hearing noise as trains pass by her building at night, but the construction noise overnight is even louder.
"I guess it's just hard to kind of concentrate sometimes. I'm a student, so I was working on homework last night and it was a little distracting," Judge said.
She's just one of many in Wrigleyville complaining about the noise.
"I wanted to go get a hotel for the night," said Vicki Wysocki.
Lately, it's been hard for Wysocki to get some sleep at night.
"I didn't get any sleep at all. It got a little easier in the morning, just because I had to put a sound machine on; but other than that, I was up the entire night."
The problem is CTA construction at the Addison station on the Red Line, with work going on through the night. People who live along the Red Line between Cornelia and Waveland said it's like hearing a jackhammer that just won't stop.
"It went on all night long. I called 311, I called 911, and the noise just continued to go all night long," Craig Collins said.
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) said the work is part of a federal project that simply has to be done.
"Those agencies are exempt from the noise ordinances that a private developer would be restricted," he said.
In 2017, the Obama administration approved a $1.1 billion federal grant to rebuild miles of century-old track from Belmont to Howard. The work is meant to speed up trains and alleviate delays and overcrowding.
Tunney said the work must be done overnight.
"This idea of not having the hour restrictions is to try to get this done in a reasonable time and within budget," he said.
The CTA said working overnight helps reduce the overall time they are in the community, and allows the agency to complete the work at the Addison station before the Cubs' home opener on April 8.
Still, residents said that's not good enough.
"I'm counting down the days," Wysocki said.
One neighbor said overnight drilling work did stop during the rain Wednesday night, but picked up again around 1:30 a.m.
As for Tunney, he said, "I will work to make sure that we try to have some peace and quiet in our neighborhood."
