Chicago Construction News staff writer
The City of Chicago will break ground later this year on the first phase of a new Concourse E at O’Hare International Airport, the next stage of the airport’s $8.8-billion ORDNext modernization program, clearing the way for accelerated construction of the planned O’Hare Global Terminal.
The first phase of The New Concourse E will add 14 gates, providing the capacity needed to support construction of the Global Terminal in a single coordinated phase beginning in 2029. The terminal is scheduled for completion in 2033.
Phase two of Concourse E construction will add another 10 gates, bringing the facility to 24 gates when the project is completed in 2034.
“Chicago is not waiting to build the O’Hare our residents, businesses and visitors will need for the next generation,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a news release. “By moving forward with New Concourse E this year, we are adding gates where they are needed, keeping this historic modernization moving, and creating a clear path to deliver the O’Hare Global Terminal, the centerpiece of ORDNext, as quickly as possible.”
The revised sequencing was developed in coordination with O’Hare’s hub carriers, United Airlines and American Airlines, and is intended to bring additional capacity online while maintaining airport operations during construction.
“Starting on The New Concourse E now is about staying ahead of O’Hare’s growth instead of reacting to it later,” said Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Mike McMurray. “These first 14 gates give us the flexibility to maintain safe, efficient airline operations while we undertake the most consequential pieces of ORDNext.”
Construction of the New Concourse D remains on track, with the 19-gate facility expected to open in late 2028. The first 14 gates of Concourse E are scheduled for completion in 2030, followed by the O’Hare Global Terminal in 2033 and the final 10 Concourse E gates in 2034.
Revised phasing will allow the Global Terminal to be completed more quickly while also adding square footage and gates to its design. The approach is intended to align spending with the airport’s capacity requirements while preserving the approved ORDNext budget.
The announcement follows several recent construction milestones for the modernization program. In June, a guaranteed maximum price was established for the New Concourse D and related infrastructure that came in at least $21 million below the approved budget.
Construction on the concourse, which broke ground a year ago, is progressing on schedule, with its steel frame beginning to rise above the airfield.
When complete, the New Concourse E will be a multilevel facility of approximately 460,000 square feet located west of the New Concourse D. Its 24 gates will accommodate a mix of regional and narrowbody aircraft serving domestic and preclearance international flights.
The New Concourse E and Global Terminal are key components of ORDNext, the next phase of O’Hare’s modernization. Together, the projects are expected to increase gate capacity by 14 per cent, provide greater flexibility for the airport’s hub carriers and improve passenger amenities and aircraft movement across the airfield.
