Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Breaks Ground On The New Concourse D, A $1.3 Billion Investment In The Next Generation Of Travel At O’Hare
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CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson today joined federal, state, local, and airline leaders to kick off construction on The New Concourse D at O'Hare International Airport, a transformative $1.3 billion investment and the first major milestone in O'Hare's historic terminal expansion. This project will redefine the travel experience for millions, strengthen Chicago's role as a global aviation hub, and set the stage for the airport's next generation of growth.

"To maintain Chicago's global leadership in the 21st century, we must continue investing in O'Hare, our region's most powerful economic engine," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "With construction now underway on The New Concourse D, my administration is committed to building upon the airport's legacy by delivering modern, world-class facilities that will elevate the passenger experience at America's best-connected hub."

"By breaking ground on Concourse D, we are taking a critical first step toward enhancing how the airport welcomes and serves more than 80 million passengers each year," said Commissioner Michael McMurray of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). "We are also proud to introduce ORDNext, a new stage of development in the O'Hare 21 capital program that will elevate the passenger experience, improve connections between domestic and international flights, and increase the airport's footprint to accommodate future growth. I'm grateful to our hub carriers for making this investment on behalf of the passengers we are proud to serve every day. I look forward to a continued partnership rooted in shared responsibility and a commitment to delivering this project with care, fiscal discipline, and a minimal impact on airport operations."

The New Concourse D will include 19 new gates designed for narrow-body aircraft, with the flexibility to adapt 18 of those gates into nine larger gates that can accommodate wide-body planes. Current planned amenities include more than 20,000 square feet of lounge space, 30,000 square feet of commercial space, and a 450-square-foot children's play area.

"As Chicago's hometown airline, O'Hare has long been at the center of United's story. Today's groundbreaking comes amid our historic growth in this city as United is flying a record number of passengers, hiring thousands of new, local employees and providing customers with the largest and ever-expanding network from Chicago," said Scott Kirby, Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines. "Through the continued partnership with Mayor Johnson and Commissioner McMurray, we will work to ensure this project not only modernizes O'Hare but also strengthens the airport as a global gateway connecting Chicago to the world."

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"American Airlines has proudly served Chicago for nearly a century. That long-standing legacy fuels our investment and growth at O'Hare and underscores our commitment to Chicago — the customers and team members who call it home, the businesses that make it move and the communities that help it thrive," said American Airlines Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer Steve Johnson. "We are proud to join our partners in this project as we mark a major milestone in the future of O'Hare that will keep the airport at the forefront of customer experience, operational efficiency and modern design — while revolutionizing international connections and making the travel journey seamless for our customers. Thank you to the City of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Aviation, especially Mayor Johnson and Commissioner McMurray, for a strong partnership and their dedication to ensuring the nation's only dual-hub airport will lead the way in global aviation well into the future."

At the northern end of the 590,000-square-foot Concourse D is a 40-foot-high atrium-like space connecting the building's three levels, marked by an oculus that directs daylight into the levels below, offering a warm, inviting, and well-landscaped seating area for travelers to enjoy.

Newly released architectural renderings were created by a team led by the renowned Chicago-based firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), in collaboration with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects (JGMA), and Arup. The New Concourse D will feature tree-like structural columns — an elegant and functional design element — which also serve as a subtle nod to the apple orchard that once stood on the site where O'Hare now thrives.

HIGH-RESOLUTION RENDERINGS AVAILABLE: https://som.box.com/s/ghkn7cvsfu8lp804gfrzzkj89ubrgvzc

"From the skylit-tunnel connection to the orchard-inspired columns, the new concourse will offer bright, soaring spaces for passengers and enable world-class operations for airlines," said SOM Design Partner Scott Duncan. "We're proud to be leading this bold new vision for O'Hare and to deliver such a complex project on budget for the City of Chicago."

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Concourse D, the first of two new satellite concourses, is scheduled for completion in late 2028. Additional projects to be delivered through ORDNext include replacing Terminal 2 with the O'Hare Global Terminal, constructing a second satellite concourse designated Concourse E with 24 gates, and building a new underground tunnel to connect passengers, airport employees, and baggage operations between the expanded facilities. Together, these transformative projects make up the most anticipated and impactful elements of the $8.2 billion Terminal Area Plan, a bold vision launched in 2018 to reimagine O'Hare for the next century of travel.

Remarkable progress has already been made by the Johnson administration and the CDA team in advancing various airport improvement projects over the past several years, including:
  • Construction work on the $300 million ElevateT3 project, the first major investment in existing facilities at O'Hare Terminal 3 since the 1980s
  • Upgrades to Terminal 5, including a new 10-gate eastern extension and a new six-story parking garage
  • Dozens of taxiway and runway improvements to enhance airfield safety and enable the future development and growth of the airport

Under Mayor Johnson's leadership, the O'Hare 21 capital program has a combined minority- and women-owned business participation rate of 37% as of May 2025. The New Concourse D and the infrastructure projects associated with the development are anticipated to create more than 3,800 construction jobs.

Site preparation work for The New Concourse D began in 2023, including construction of temporary taxiways, a new grade-separated roadway, the reconfiguration of Taxiway B, and three temporary gates added to Concourse C, which opened last year. Major construction kicked off last month, starting with the demolition of existing taxiways, which will be followed by approximately six months of excavation, laying the groundwork for vertical construction to begin in spring 2026.

Last year, the City selected AECOM Hunt Clayco Bowa as the Construction Manager At-Risk for The New Concourse D and associated infrastructure. Construction bid opportunities are available at ORD21.com/bids. The $1.3 billion Concourse D project includes approximately $300 million in related infrastructure improvements, such as a new central cooling facility located in the center of the airfield, along with pavement and utility work to support the timely delivery of The New Concourse E.

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