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Judge orders release of $3 billion in frozen Red Line funding

newsMar 24, 2026

A federal judge ordered the Department of Transportation to unfreeze more than $3 billion in federal funds for the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line extension. Judge Thomas M. Durkin granted the CTA a temporary restraining order after the DOT withheld the money. The decision clears the way for construction work and contractor payments to proceed. The ruling constrains the DOT's ability to withhold approved transit dollars and could shape future federal oversight of major transit projects.

Key Highlights

Judge Thomas M. Durkin granted a temporary restraining order against the DOT.
The court ordered release of more than three billion dollars for Red Line.
Unfreezing funds lets the Red Line extension construction resume and avoid delays.