August 22, 2018

Duckworth, Durbin, Quigley, Krishanmoorthi, Schakowsky Announce Nearly $80 Million in Federal Funding for O’Hare International Airport Noise Mitigation and Critical Runway Construction

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) today announced a total of $79,917,636 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant funding to help improve O’Hare International Airport and mitigate noise for residents in the area. This funding comes from the Department of Transportation’s Airport Improvement Program, which provides grants to public agencies, private owners and entities for the planning and development of public-use airports.

“Today’s announcement is a much-needed investment to improve the quality of life for residents living near O’Hare Airport,” Duckworth said. “This funding will also help ensure that O’Hare has the necessary resources to invest in airport infrastructure and to support local jobs. I will continue working with members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation to advocate for funding that results in safer, more reliable airports, as well as increased economic development in Chicago and across Illinois.”

“This is great news for Chicago and the state of Illinois. O’Hare Airport is a bustling transportation hub connecting millions of passengers to destinations across the globe,” Durbin said. “These grants are crucial to traveler safety and will help address problems of prolonged runway wait times and aircraft noise impacting nearby residents. I am pleased by today’s announcement, and I will continue to work to bring federal resources to Chicago’s airports and the communities that surround them.”

“As Vice-Chair of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, I’m pleased that the Department of Transportation is coming through with crucial funding for important projects in and around O’Hare,” Quigley said. “The nearly $11 million announced today for noise mitigation measures for residences around the airport will go a long way towards helping O’Hare’s neighbors contend with unacceptable noise impacts from planes flying overhead. But it isn’t enough. I pledge to continue to work in Congress to ensure that everything possible is done to reduce harmful airport noise on the neighborhoods around O’Hare. DOT has provided important funding today, but we must ensure every impacted family has sufficient and effective noise insulation.”

“I’m very heartened to see these grants awarded to O’Hare International Airport for its development and to the surrounding communities for noise mitigation efforts,” Krishanmoorthi said. “O’Hare is an economic engine for our region, but we must also address the noise reduction needs of the communities surrounding it. I’m glad to see that these grants will help us do both.”

“I am pleased to see nearly $80 million in grant dollars being devoted to strengthening O'Hare Airport," said Rep. Schakowsky. "As a member of the Quiet Skies Caucus, I am especially grateful to see over $10 million being invested in noise mitigation assistance for residences that are the most impacted by airport operations. I often hear from constituents living near the airport who deal with constant airplane noise and am glad that our concerns are being taken seriously.”

Under this announcement, Chicago O'Hare International Airport will receive the following DOT funding:

  • $10,717,636 for noise mitigation measures for surrounding residents
  • $45,000,000 for runway construction
  • $20,000,000 for runway construction
  • $4,200,000 for tarmac reconstruction

“I want to thank the Senators and all of our Illinois Congressional partners for their commitment to advancing Chicago-O'Hare as a leading global hub,” said Jamie L. Rhee, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation. “These grants will support essential infrastructure improvements at O’Hare International Airport, including projects to deliver one of the safest and most efficient runway systems in the nation while expanding noise mitigation measures for airport neighbors. Overall, these investments support added benefits for our tens of millions of passengers annually served at ORD, while fueling a growing local economy for years to come.”

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