O’HARE — O’Hare Airport’s transformation of Terminal 3 is getting another infusion of federal cash.
O’Hare was awarded a $40 million Airport Terminal Program grant last week. The funding was allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Aviation announced.
O’Hare also received a $50 million Airport Terminal Program grant in 2023.
That federal funding will support upgrades at Terminal 3 including:
- Turning two TSA checkpoints into a single, modernized screening area
- Expanding the corridor between Concourse K and Concourse L
- Revamping Terminal 3’s baggage claim area
- Expanding gates K1 and L2A
- Adding 10,000 square feet of concessions and amenity space
- Renovating the terminal’s restrooms and adding a new family restroom
- Improving energy efficiency
The work is part of a larger, $200 million Terminal 3 improvement project. The balance of the project will be paid for with previously allocated federal funds as well as airline rates and charges, according to a city press release.
Construction will begin this spring and will likely be completed in the summer of 2027, officials said. Construction will be completed in phases to allow for the continuous operation of Terminal 3.
“O’Hare is critical to the infrastructure of the entire Chicago region, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and keeping the greatest city in the world connected to every corner of it,” Johnson said in a statement “Thanks to the support of the Biden-Harris Administration and members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation, this grant will complement the [aviation department’s] ongoing efforts to modernize and expand O’Hare to serve the evolving needs of the traveling public for decades to come.”
O’Hare was one of 114 airports to receive funding through the federal Airport Terminal Program this year. For the past two years, O’Hare has received the largest grants in the program, officials said.
A years-long, $1.3 billion expansion of Terminal 5 was unveiled in early 2023.
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