O'Hare receives $60M grant for runway projects
(Prayitno Photography/Flickr)
CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - O’Hare International Airport will receive $60 million in federal grant money, part of which is going toward a new runway, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.
The first grant of $40 million will kick off the construction phase of Runway 9C/27C, which includes siting utilities, grading, and pavement work, the statement from the DOT said.
The $648.5 million runway — O’Hare’s second largest at 11,245 feet long and 200 feet wide — is expected to open in 2020. Construction will be completed in three phases, beginning with the easternmost section, followed by the center and western chunks, the Chicago Sun-Times previously reported.
The second grant of $20 million will reimburse the airport for projects associated with the construction of Runway 10C/28C, which was completed in October 2013, the statement said. The projects included taxiway systems, navigational aids, site utilities, and existing facility relocations.
O’Hare is one of 584 airports across the country being awarded part of $527.8 million in airport infrastructure grants as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. The grants are expected to be issued “over the next several weeks” for construction season.
“The Airport Improvement Program helps to maintain our aviation infrastructure and supports safety, capacity, security and environmental improvements,” DOT Secretary Elaine L. Chao said in the statement.