- Building Futures is about identifying projects, ideas and innovations that will create lasting positive change within the building community and the communities it serves.
- This BF explores the air transportation in the Chicago area.
O’Hare airport and Midway drive business and revenues through the Chicago political and business eco system. In 2023, O’Hare’s total operating revenues were in excess of $1.4 billion, and on the southwest side, Midway generated an additional $297 million dollars. Bringing tourist and hospitality dollars to the city, creating airport specific jobs and growing this integral part of Chicago’s multimodal transportation system. Chicago sits at the heart of the US, with investments in complex and fully scaled transport modalities including highways, trucks, trains, shipping, and of course airplanes.
Growing up, air travel was an exciting adventure. Today, even getting to the airport is a task. Making the traveling experience more exciting and something to look forward to when people depart and arrive at O’Hare will have generations long impact on the impressions people have of Chicago and on the business and financial health of the region.
The ongoing O’Hare airport modernization and expansion project has had many components
- Modernization of existing facilities
- New terminals and customer amenities
- New runways
- New Parking lots
And perhaps most importantly the expansion of the highway system that feeds traffic to the airport. A new highway will open western access to the airport. This will provide consumers coming from the western or southern suburbs with direct access to an entirely new portion of the airport. This two-way access, with expanded terminals and runways, makes me believe that O’Hara has the opportunity to retake its leadership position, of the world’s busiest airport, and still be a more comfortable and reliable experience than today.
With success, O’Hare and air travel will continue to grow and continue to be a primary driver of Chicago’s economic and cultural future.
Photo 1: Ohare Airport’s new proposed Layout, with new tollway western connection.
Photo 2: Proposed Global Terminal, O’Hare Airport, Chicago, Il
Photo 3: Terminal 5 Expansion & Modernization
Photo 4: Proposed Satellite Terminals 1 and 2
Photo 5: New tollway system connecting western and southern suburbs directly to the new western terminal.