The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) has finalised a new agreement with AECOM Hunt Clayco Bowa, the lead contractor for O’Hare International Airport’s New Concourse D.
Establishing a Guaranteed Maximum Price of 1.455 billion USD for the 19-gate facility; the agreement aims to lock in a cost ceiling for what will become the largest new passenger facility at O’Hare in more than 30 years, and ensures that the project will be delivered at least 21 million USD under the approved budget.
The agreement also provides cost certainty for O’Hare’s airline partners and marks a major milestone for the deployment of ORDNext, the City’s 8.78 billion USD modernisation of the airport’s core facilities.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, said:As ORDNext moves from planning to visible progress, this agreement is clear evidence that we are delivering one of the most important investments in Chicago history with discipline, partnership and momentum.
By locking in a price cap 21 million USD below budget for The New Concourse D, we are giving our airline partners cost certainty, giving passengers a clearer path to a modernised O’Hare, and giving Chicago confidence that this historic program is moving forward responsibly. I want to thank American Airlines and United Airlines for their continued partnership and support as we build the next generation of O’Hare.
O’Hare’s new Concourse D forms part of the first major phase of the ORDNext programme, which aims to deliver two satellite concourses and replace Terminal 2 with the new O’Hare Global Terminal.
Once completed, the programme will provide increased gate capacity, a modernised passenger experience, improved connectivity across the airport and further strengthen O’Hare’s role as both a global gateway and economic engine for both Chicago and the region as a whole.
The New Concourse D and the larger ORDNext development have been funded through rates and charges, landing fees, and other airport revenues paid by the airlines and airport users that operate at O’Hare, showcasing a financing model that aims to support the continued modernisation and expansion of the airport through self-generated revenues.
Establishment of the Guaranteed Maximum Price agreement reflects over a year’s worth of collaborative planning between CDA, its programme and construction partners, designers, and AECOM Hunt Clayco Bowa.
Construction of Concourse D is set to continue into 2027 as crews advance foundations, steel erection, tunnel work, building systems, and other enabling infrastructure needed to support the next generation of travel at O’Hare, with the project as a whole remaining on track for completion in late 2028.
