A segment of Sherman Place will close from Monday until the end of June to facilitate the replacement of viaducts – arches that support a bridge – on the Purple Line.

Construction crews will close Sherman Place between Dempster and Greenwood streets to build a new bridge on site, said Matt Swentkofske, the city’s intergovernmental affairs coordinator.

Residential traffic and access to the Chicago Transit Authority station will not be affected. The bridges on Grove Street and Greenleaf Street will also be replaced.

The project came after years of “hard advocacy” by the Evanston City Council and Sen. Jeff Shoenberg (D-Evanston), Swentkofske said.

“It’s a critical infrastructure project, and it’s been a priority of the council for a while,” he said.

The Purple Line viaducts are more than 100 years old, Swentkofske said, adding that replacing them will speed up the trains.

“Replacing these viaducts is a first and critical step towards the long term goal of redoing the entire North Red and Purple Line,” he said.

– Jia You