If you’ve traveled through Midway Airport recently, you might have noticed it’s undergoing some massive changes. This $761-million Midway Airport Terminal Development Program is the largest public works project currently under way in Illinois. The anticipated completion date for the expansion is in 2004.
The project encompasses a new 41-gate concourse facility, a 3,000-space parking garage, new roadway systems, a pedestrian bridge, and a new airport apron and taxiways. The real clincher in this whole operation is that the airport is remaining open with business as usual.
Deputy Commissioner Erin O’Donnell of the city of Chicago Department of Aviation, described how the city is managing to bring about this revolutionary change and still maintain operations.
“A lot of cooperation is the key to it. We are building on top of ourselves and will continue flights from all 29 gates during construction. We certainly think we have put together a plan for construction that benefits the passengers,” he stated.
Besides offering an expanded facility for travelers, O’Donnell said the expansion offers enhancements for the local community.
“We see increased residential development as well as small businesses. Drive along the corridor and you will see growth activity. Midway contributes $2 billion in personnel annual income and about 50,000 jobs to the regional economy. By 2010, they anticipate $3.8 billion and 94,000 jobs. The contribution will grow as the airport is completed,” he said.
Massive expansions in business that Midway Airport has experienced over the past few decades necessitate the redevelopment. When Midway was built in 1947, it was designed for two million passengers a year. Last year the airport handled 13.5 million passengers.
While construction is in full swing around the airport, work is right on schedule with a minimum amount of disruptions, said O’Donnell.
“It is always a love/hate relationship with construction, but we try to be proactive,” he added. “Carriers will not suffer during transition.”
The program manager for the Midway Airport project is Unzelman & Associates of Chicago, IL. The construction manager for this massive project is Kenny-Rust Midway, which is a joint venture between Kenny Construction of Wheeling, IL, and Earthtech of Oak Brook, IL.
The design team consists of four Chicago, IL, contractors: A. Epstein and Sons International Inc., McConough Associates Inc., Globetrotters Engineering Corp. and Environmental Systems Design Inc. The fifth spoke in the design team wheel is the Kansas City, MO-based HNTB Corporation.
The Terminal/Concourse Building contractor is Clark-McHugh-Rausch. This is a joint venture between Clark Construction Group of Bethesda, MD; James McHugh Construction Co., of Chicago; and Rausch Construction of Broadview, IL.
There are separate contracts for the parking structure, the parking structure south utility vault, parking structure office and tollbooth, and the relocation of Cicero Avenue. Other contracts were awarded for demolition and remediation, Cicero Avenue utilities, employee parking, public economy parking and airside paving.
Working on the new Midway Airport Terminal, Clark-McHugh-Rausch is expanding the ticketing lobby and gate. Passengers will check their baggage at the new Midway Airport Terminal located on the east side of Cicero Avenue. Baggage will then travel underground in a new baggage delivery system to the planes. In addition, the baggage claim area will have additional carousels.
For travelers in the Midway Airport area, the city offers a Midway Airport Construction Hotline at 1-773MIDWAY5. The hotline is operational 24 hours a day and will offer information about local traffic and airport parking.
O’Donnell said that the hotline is just one way that the city and contractors are trying to assist passengers and the local community. “I was truly impressed by the immense effort the city is undertaking to try to implement this program with as little upheaval as possible.”
Travelers can also log onto the Department of Aviation’s Web site to find up to date information on traffic impacts and construction. The Web site is www.cityofchicago.org/Aviation.
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