The project will include the construction of new terminals, gates and hotels.
Jamie Rhea, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, which owns and operates the airport, said: “Today’s news from the FAA gives us a clear path forward to start construction on the Terminal Area Plan which includes Satellite Concourses 1 and 2 and the O’Hare Global Terminal, the centerpieces of the capital improvement program we call O’Hare 21”.
The project is expected to start with construction of two new satellite concourses, providing an estimated 1.3 million square feet of gate and amenity space.
The project will include the demolition and replacement of the airport’s oldest terminal. It also proposes the use of angled runways to allow for multiple take-offs at the same time.
US transport secretary Pete Buttigieg commented: “O’Hare is a powerhouse that, in return, makes Chicago and Chicagoland a powerhouse for the American economy…That is what we are talking about today: jobs, jobs, and jobs.”
About US$73m of government funding has been allocated to the project which has an estimated total cost of around US$8.5bn (£7bn).
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