Chicago O’Hare breaks ground on $1.3 billion Concourse D set for completion in 2028

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Chicago O’Hare breaks ground on $1.3 billion Concourse D set for completion in 2028

Policy

Michael J. McMurray, CDA Commissioner | Chicago Department of Aviation

By Sky Industry News

Sep 2, 2025

Chicago O’Hare International Airport has begun construction on a new concourse, marking the airport’s first major terminal expansion in several years. The $1.3 billion project, known as Concourse D, is expected to be completed by 2028 after delays since its original announcement in 2018.

The facility is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) with Ross Barney Architects, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects, and Arup. When finished, it will cover 590,000 square feet over three levels and add 19 gates to the airport. Most of these gates are for narrowbody aircraft but can be combined into nine positions for widebody planes. The concourse will also include more than 20,000 square feet of lounge space, 30,000 square feet dedicated to retail and dining options, and a children’s play area. A notable feature at the north end will be a 40-foot-high atrium with an oculus skylight providing natural light across all levels. There will also be a bridge directly connecting the new concourse to Concourse C.

Michael McMurray, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation said:

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“By breaking ground in Concourse D, we are taking a critical first step toward enhancing how the airport welcomes and serves more than 80 million passengers each year. We are also proud to introduce ORDNext, a new stage of development in the O’Hare 21 capital program that will elevate the passenger experience, improve connections between domestic and international flights, and increase the airport’s footprint to accommodate future growth.”

Concourse D is part of ORDNext—a larger $8.5 billion redevelopment effort at Chicago O’Hare that includes further expansions such as Concourse E with an additional 24 gates. Plans also call for replacing Terminal 2 with a new global terminal and building an underground tunnel to connect facilities for passengers and staff.

Recent upgrades at O'Hare include work on Terminal 3 under the $300 million ElevateT3 program—the first significant investment there since the 1980s—which aims to expand baggage sorting areas and lounges while relocating claim facilities and adding carousels. This upgrade is scheduled for completion in 2027. Terminal 5 has already seen expansion with ten new gates added alongside a multi-story parking structure.

Site preparation for Concourse D began in 2023 with temporary taxiways built and reconfiguration work underway on Taxiway B. Demolition of existing taxiways started last month; excavation will follow before vertical construction begins in spring 2026.

The full ORDNext redevelopment is anticipated to finish by 2032.

Major hub airlines like United Airlines and American Airlines support these developments as crucial steps toward maintaining competitiveness at one of America’s busiest airports.