Through the years, more and more people are discovering the joys of travel. And with more people on planes, it means more people are at airports.
The response of some cities is to build a whole, new airport. While this populous tourist town out west is considering that very thing for the “not too distant future,” this large city is in the midst of making final plans.
But most cities don’t look at whole new airports as much as new terminals or new concourses. Which is exactly Chicago O’Hare’s plan – they’ve just broken ground for their upcoming Concourse D. The $1.3 billion investment is the first phase of the airport’s larger expansion plan.
The 590,000-square-foot building promises to be modern, with plenty of natural lighting. It will offer over 20,000 square feet of lounge space, 30,000 square feet of commercial space, and a 450-square-foot children’s play area.
Most importantly, Concourse D will include 19 new gates designed for narrow-body aircraft, with the flexibility to adapt 18 of those gates into nine larger gates that can accommodate wide-body planes.
“To maintain Chicago’s global leadership in the 21st century, we must continue investing in O’Hare, our region’s most powerful economic engine,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “With construction now underway on The New Concourse D, my administration is committed to building upon the airport’s legacy by delivering modern, world-class facilities that will elevate the passenger experience at America’s best-connected hub.”
Concourse D is just the first of two new satellite concourses. Additional future projects for the airport include:
- replacing Terminal 2 with the O’Hare Global Terminal
- constructing a second satellite concourse designated Concourse E with 24 gates, and building a new underground tunnel to connect passengers, airport employees, and baggage operations between the expanded facilities.
These are on top of the projects that have already been completed in recent years:
- Construction work on the $300 million ElevateT3 project, the first major investment in existing facilities at O’Hare Terminal 3 since the 1980s
- Upgrades to Terminal 5, including a new 10-gate eastern extension and a new six-story parking garage
- Dozens of taxiway and runway improvements to enhance airfield safety and enable the future development and growth of the airport
Concourse D is scheduled to be completed in late 2028.
PC: All photos courtesy of SOM.
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