The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued approval to the proposed O’Hare 21 Expansion plan following the results of an environmental review that was announced by the agency on Tuesday. 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was on hand in the Windy City to join Mayor Lori Lightfoot for the announcement, which allows for construction to begin in the spring on two satellite concourses and a new Global Terminal that will replace O’Hare’s existing Terminal 2. The FAA says “no significant impact” will be made by the Terminal Area Plan (TAP) and that it will immediately lead to a decrease in emissions thanks to reduced taxi times and more flexible gate capacity. The total budget for the TAP project is around $7.1 billion.

SOM will lead the construction of both concourses, which add about 1.3 million square feet of space and are expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2028, respectively. The new Global Terminal designed by Studio ORD (Studio Gang, et. al) will follow Terminal 2’s demolition, adding another 2.2 million square feet to the airport by the time of its completion in 2030. A large tunnel connecting both structures will also be constructed.

In a press conference, Lightfoot expressed her views that the project will wind up “transforming [O’Hare] into one of the greatest airports of the 21st century.”   

The project is part of O’Hare’s larger $8.5 modernization plan that includes the recently-completed $1.3 billion renovation of Terminal 5 led by Muller 2 and HOK. Other components include a new six-story car park adjacent to Terminal 5, improved pedestrian routes, and the reconstruction of an existing 9,300-space structure from 1973.