Mayor Rahm Emanuel, along with the city's major airlines have announced their new $1.3 billion expansion deal for the Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
According to CBS Chicago, the agreement between the city of Chicago, United Airlines and American Airlines will be undertaking the O'Hare Modernization Project, which plans to build a final runway and modernizing the airport itself.
"This is a very simple strategy, for the last 30-40 years Chicago used to measure by being the busiest airport, in competition with Atlanta," said Emanuel. "That is one measure but the measure going forward from now on, is not whether we are the busiest but whether we are the best."
According to city officials via Chicago Tribune, the agreement "calls for spending $1.3 billion to build a sixth east-west runway at the airfield's north end, de-icing pads to get planes to take off more quickly and new taxiways to pick up the pace of planes going to and from far-flung gates."
Emanuel further notes that the expansion is more that just a new runway and updating the terminals:
"The terminal experience, the technology that's here as well as what we want to see from the transportations system, our people, business travelers, people in the city of Chicago, greater Chicago area economy, will have the greatest experience and the ability to go from one place to the other."
Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans also noted that the deal also includes plans to build new hangars and purchase ground-support equipment buildings. In addition, Mayor Emanuel also noted plans to build a couple of hotels and to upgrade the existing Hilton hotel.
Unfortunately, the plans do not include any expansion for the terminal space that could have potentially grown even more gates that the country's second busiest airport.
As it turns out, the additional gates are actually something O'Hare Airport critically need, given that it could help provide a solution to flight delays.
The bidding wars for the O'Hare Modernization Project will begin in March, with construction set sometime in May. The entire project is anticipated to complete its expansion by 2020.
