Tue, Mar 03, 2009
Construction Slated To Begin In 2010
The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the
expenditure of funds from airline passenger ticket taxes to pay for
the design and engineering drawings of the first phase of the
planned modernization project at Chicago's O'Hare Airport
(ORD).
Airport officials announced Friday they received a $182 million
budget -- derived from ticket taxes - for the design and
engineering drawings for two new runways, an extension to an
existing runway, and a planned western passenger terminal, the
Chicago Tribune reported.
Although plans require major airlines using O'Hare to help pay
for the mammoth $15 billion expansion of the airport, the airlines
have refused to contribute to construction costs until the project
is re-evaluated. While supportive of building additional runways,
the airlines oppose the proposed new west terminal, objecting to
its distance from the airport's main terminal.
As ANN previously reported, the O'Hare
Modernization Project includes replacing four runways,
decommissioning three runways, and extending two runways. The
reconfiguration of the airport is estimated to increase the
airport's capacity to over 3800 operations daily and cut delays by
79%, according to Airport-Technology reports.
The imminent relocation of 2,800 residents, two cemeteries and
part of the Union Pacific railway has generated heated opposition
and lawsuits from the affected nearby communities of Elk Grove and
Bensenville. Despite the opposition, the OMP is slated to commence
next year.
"The real story here is that OMP is nothing more than a $20
billion, taxpayer funded slush fund for politicians and their
friends," Bensenville village president John Geils said. "The
simple fact is that OMP is a runway to nowhere."
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