A nearly $1.3 billion infrastructure plan for O'Hare International Airport will create thousands of jobs over the life of the project.
Article continues below
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City of Chicago, U.S. Senators Durbin and Kirk, representatives from United and American Airlines, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the deal.
This agreement includes a new runway 9C/27C, deicing pads and other critical airfield projects, paving the way for further airport improvements that will allow O'Hare to increase the number of gates, modernize the terminals and secure Chicago's future as one of the most important aviation hubs in the world.
The thousands of travelers who depend on O'Hare each day will see improved on-time performance and enhanced customer experience due to the increased capacity at the airport and the new projects the city will be able to pursue as a result of the landmark deal.
Runway 9C/27C, scheduled to be commissioned in 2020, will be used for arriving and departing aircraft. The 11,245-foot-long, 200-foot-wide runway will be the second largest runway at O'Hare.
This runway will balance the capacity of the north airfield with that of the south airfield, providing increased flexibility for east and west flow operations, as well as balancing noise exposure among communities east and west of O'Hare.
The city also plans to ensure that sound insulation of all eligible homes and schools will commence and be completed before the runway opens. The cost of construction for Runway 9C/27C is $648.5 million.
O'Hare's airfield also will receive a centralized deicing facility to increase the efficiency of the current deicing operations at individual gates, improve on-time performance and the passenger experience.
This project will improve gate utilization and terminal capacity, eliminate secondary deicing for departing planes, and enhance runway safety while improving airfield operations.
In addition, a new crossfield Taxiway system will be constructed to connect the north and south airfields which will decrease taxi time for planes arriving at O'Hare and improve the customer experience.
The construction plan also calls for the relocation of fuel supply lines and airline support facilities, as well as perimeter Taxiways A and B. ■