Pictures taken by residents show a large yellow piece of machinery that appears to have taken down power lines and damaged at least one car in the 1100-block of West Bryn Mawr shortly after 3:30 p.m.
The Chicago Fire Department said a 200-ton capacity drill head construction crane tipped over while it was being used. CTA officials clarified the crane fell off the tracks near Bryn Mawr onto street level, into an alley and is now in a precarious position.
A building directly east of the station is being evacuated because of the crane’s instability, which is leaning against a utility pole.
ComEd is on scene, working to cut power to the utility pole as workers attempt to bring in to stabilize the crane so it can be disassembled and removed, CFD said. ComEd said 101 customers are without power in the area of West Bryn Mawr and North Winthrop.
The CTA tweeted the Red, Brown and Purple Line are majorly delayed due to the incident as service resumes, with Red Line trains bypassing the Bryn Mawr stop. Shuttle buses are being offered between Bryn Mawr and Howard. The transit agency warned of major delays and did not offer a timeline for when trains would start moving again.
No injuries have been reported, according to the fire department, and one nearby business owner said he saw the operator crawl out of the crane. What caused the crane to tip is not currently known and under investigation by CTA.
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