Chicago Construction News staff writer
Construction is officially underway on The New Concourse D at O’Hare International Airport, a $1.3 billion project that marks the first major milestone in the airport’s long-awaited terminal expansion program.
The 590,000-square-foot facility will add 19 new gates, with the flexibility to convert 18 of them into nine larger gates for wide-body aircraft. Plans also call for more than 20,000 square feet of lounge space, 30,000 square feet of retail and dining areas, and a 450-square-foot play space for children.
At its northern end, the concourse will feature a 40-foot-high atrium-like space with an oculus bringing natural light into all three levels of the building. The design, led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects, and Arup, incorporates tree-like structural columns as a nod to the apple orchard that once occupied the site.
Concourse D is the first of two new satellite concourses planned under the $8.2 billion Terminal Area Plan launched in 2018. Once complete in late 2028, it will be followed by Concourse E with 24 additional gates, and eventually the O’Hare Global Terminal to replace the existing Terminal 2. A new underground tunnel will connect the expanded facilities for passengers, employees, and baggage operations.
The construction program is being delivered through ORDNext, the next phase of O’Hare’s modernization strategy. Site preparation began in 2023 with temporary taxiway realignments, roadway work, and the addition of three temporary gates at Concourse C. Major construction began last month with demolition of existing taxiways and is now entering a six-month excavation phase ahead of vertical construction in 2026.
AECOM Hunt Clayco Bowa is serving as the construction manager at-risk for the project, which also includes approximately $300 million in related infrastructure improvements such as a central cooling facility, utility upgrades, and pavement work to support future concourse expansion.
The project is expected to generate more than 3,800 construction jobs and is being delivered with a target of 37% participation by minority- and women-owned business enterprises.
