Washington/Wabash opened on August 31, 2017 at 4:00am. The modern $75 million station consolidates the former the Madison/Wabash Station (closed on March 16, 2015 since the new station is partially on the footprint of this former station) and the Randolph/Wabash Station (which closed at 2:30am on Sunday, September 3, 2017 right after this new station opened). The modern station has two side platforms with a futuristic design. The core of this design is a large glass canopy structure held up by white frameworks. This canopy structure on each platform forms a bird-like, Santiago Calatrava-inspired wave with the opposite platform; little LED lights dramatically light the platforms at night. A low white fence (in some areas with supplemental mesh) forms the platform edge. Platform signs say Washington/Wabash supplemented by blue signs for Millennium Park (and instructions to walk one block east)
Access: The station begins just south of Washington Street with a staircase from the SW corner and an escalator/staircase from the SE corner of Washington and Wabash leading up to the mezzanine level. Next on each side of the street is a silver translucent mesh elevator shaft. These elevator shafts (with the mesh forming the CTA logo towards the top of each shaft) each contain two elevators one leading from sidewalk to the mezzanine outside of fare control and another from the mezzanine to the respective platform within fare control. On the mezzanine, the fence that divides the areas within and outside of fare control is in the middle of this elevator shaft, with turnstiles in the middle of this area. Continuing south down the mezzanine there are a few staircases (no escalators) up to each platform. In the middle of the mezzanine here is an employee only closed-off area decorated by murals by artist Michiko Itatani. Towards the southern end of the mezzanine is an additional fare control area with turnstiles that lead to staircases down to the NW and NE corners of Madison and Wabash Streets. The platforms continue across Madison Street and each has a high exit turnstile directly on the platform that leads to an exit only staircase down to the southern corners of Madison and Wabash.
Photos 1-37 taken on opening day, August 31, 2017; 38: 17 February, 2018; 39-59: 10 June, 2018
