Routes and Airports Channel

Chicago O'Hare seeing operations boost from new runways

By Adele C. Schwartz
ATW's Airports Today, September 2009, p.3

Still years away from completion, the Chicago O'Hare Modernization Program already is reducing delays at the world's second-busiest airport. New Runway 9L-27R and the 3,000-ft. extension to runway 10L-27R, as well as the new north ATC tower, all opened last year, improved the airport's ontime arrival rate by 22%, according to the Chicago Dept. of Aviation.

The program, now estimated to cost $8.7 billion, will replace the airport's seven runways--all but one of them intersecting--with two sets of parallels. There will be six east-west runways and two very widely spaced NE-SW crosswinds, with four runways to the north of the terminal complex and four to the south. A second control tower, on the south end of the property, another terminal complex to the west and a people-mover tying the whole airport together are also part of the long-range plan. Completion is expected in 2014.

Some $2.2 billion already has been spent, and the two runway projects and new control tower cost nearly $40 million less than had been budgeted, the city says. The next major part of the program, a new Runway 10C-28C, is expected to go into service in late 2012 and further reduce delays to an average of 10 min. Design work is underway for two additional runways and extension of an existing runway, as well as a planning study for the western terminal.

Green principles incorporated into the program are saving money as well as producing environmental benefits. More than $100 million was saved by moving soil around on the site instead of dumping it in landfills and another $2 million has been saved so far by crushing and reusing asphalt removed to make way for construction.

The new control tower has a green roof and similar designs are being applied to four other buildings on the airfield. The tower building employs new materials and systems to reduce energy and water use. United Airlines and FedEx will include green roofs and materials in their new cargo and handling facilities on the airport.

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