CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking input from the public as it considers O’Hare expansion plans.
The Airport Terminal Project includes a new global terminal at O'Hare International Airport, which would replace the current Terminal 2; as well as add two new concourses.
The major part of the project, the Global Terminal, will cost $2.2 billion and will accommodate domestic and international airlines with customs and immigration services. The design, created by a team led by Chicago architect Jeanne Gang, will be twice the size of Terminal 2.
According to the FAA, a tunnel will connect the Global Terminal to two concourses on the west side of the airport.
In the end, O'Hare's capacity is expected to increase by 25 percent by 2026. The project is expected to add 22 gates to the airport.
Additionally, two new hotels will be built - one at Terminal 5 and one off Mannheim Road; as well as an eight-level parking structure for employees.
The city also hopes to open an entrance to O'Hare's west side that connects with the I-490 and Route 390 toll roads currently under construction, FAA said.
Bensenville Village Manager Evan Summers told the Daily Herald most O’Hare traffic comes from the west; and while the plans don’t call for a full-service western terminal, access from the west is a good start.
The FAA is taking comments from the pubic for the next five weeks.
Anyone interested in weighing in on the project can do so on FAA's website at faa.gov, by phone at (847) 294-7354, or by mail to Amy Hanson, FAA, 2300 E. Devon Ave., Room 320, Des Plaines IL 60018.
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