While most passengers gaze out of their windows and see the tarmac while on a plane at O’Hare International Airport, some will now be greeted by piles of dirt and machinery — the construction site of the future Concourse D, a long-awaited addition to one of the country’s biggest airports.
The empty space will be the home of the new “O’Hare Global Terminal,” slated to replace Terminal 2. The new terminal is expected to be completed by late 2028 and include 19 new gates for passengers. Construction comes seven years after then-mayor Rahm Emanuel first negotiated the expansion and is the largest expansion in the airport’s history, according to its website.
The $8.2 billion plan also includes constructing a second concourse that will serve as a smaller satellite terminal called Concourse E. The two terminals will connect via a tunnel, similar to the existing tunnels within O’Hare with colorful lights and a reflective ceiling.
The project broke ground in August. Two months later, the majority of work being done is not necessarily on the job site. There are preliminary changes that need to be completed before the terminal can be built, known as enabling work, O’Hare and Midway Airports Director of Public Information Georgiaree Godfrey told the Tribune at a media tour Saturday.
A majority of the construction taking place on Saturday was enabling work, specifically at the airport’s central and south water basins, which act as a retention pond for water flow. The airport is eliminating its central basin and filling it in to ensure there’s enough room for the new terminal and its utilities like heating and cooling. Additionally, crews are working on expanding the south basin to be able to hold more water flow, Godfrey said.
Construction ideally will not slow operations down at the airport and they are not expecting to lose the use of any gates, O’Hare officials said. The new terminal is set to help alleviate pressure put on the existing international Terminal 5, Godfrey said, with 18 out of the 19 new gates being “flex gates” that can be used for different-sized aircraft.
“This way, it allows for more connectivity and allows people to land in other terminals, and so (Terminal 5) no longer has to be strictly the international terminal,” Godfrey said. “That’s why it’s the O’Hare Global Terminal, because of the connectivity to the other terminals.”
The construction comes as multiple airlines have recently legally battled over gate space at the airport, resulting in five additional gate spaces for United Airlines’ use and the removal of four from American Airlines.
Talia Soglin contributed to this report.
Nearly two months after first breaking ground for a new global international terminal, construction is preliminary at O’Hare.
While most passengers gaze out of their windows and see the tarmac while on a plane at O’Hare International Airport, some will now be greeted by piles of dirt and machinery — the construction site of the future Concourse D, a long-awaited addition to one of the country’s biggest airports.
The empty space will be the home of the new “O’Hare Global Terminal,” slated to replace Terminal 2. The new terminal is expected to be completed by late 2028 and include 19 new gates for passengers. Construction comes seven years after then-mayor Rahm Emanuel first negotiated the expansion and is the largest expansion in the airport’s history, according to its website.
The $8.2 billion plan also includes constructing a second concourse that will serve as a smaller satellite terminal called Concourse E. The two terminals will connect via a tunnel, similar to the existing tunnels within O’Hare with colorful lights and a reflective ceiling.
The project broke ground in August. Two months later, the majority of work being done is not necessarily on the job site. There are preliminary changes that need to be completed before the terminal can be built, known as enabling work, O’Hare and Midway Airports Director of Public Information Georgiaree Godfrey told the Tribune at a media tour Saturday.
A majority of the construction taking place on Saturday was enabling work, specifically at the airport’s central and south water basins, which act as a retention pond for water flow. The airport is eliminating its central basin and filling it in to ensure there’s enough room for the new terminal and its utilities like heating and cooling. Additionally, crews are working on expanding the south basin to be able to hold more water flow, Godfrey said.
Construction ideally will not slow operations down at the airport and they are not expecting to lose the use of any gates, O’Hare officials said. The new terminal is set to help alleviate pressure put on the existing international Terminal 5, Godfrey said, with 18 out of the 19 new gates being “flex gates” that can be used for different-sized aircraft.
“This way, it allows for more connectivity and allows people to land in other terminals, and so (Terminal 5) no longer has to be strictly the international terminal,” Godfrey said. “That’s why it’s the O’Hare Global Terminal, because of the connectivity to the other terminals.”
The construction comes as multiple airlines have recently legally battled over gate space at the airport, resulting in five additional gate spaces for United Airlines’ use and the removal of four from American Airlines.
Talia Soglin contributed to this report.
RevContent Feed
More in News
Discover more from World Byte News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
