CHICAGO – Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) announced today that O’Hare International Airport will receive an additional $20 million in competitive grant funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminal Program, bringing the total amount awarded to the airport from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to $110 million over a three-year period. 

“Our city’s largest economic engine not only employs tens of thousands of our residents — it connects more than 70 million travelers to our city and beyond each and every year,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “This additional $20 million in federal grant funding is an important investment in our infrastructure, making air travel safer, more efficient and more enjoyable for all. I extend my deepest gratitude to the Biden-Harris Administration and the Illinois Congressional Delegation for their continued support of Chicago through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Together, we are ensuring that O’Hare remains a world-class airport that meets the needs of today’s travelers while positioning us for future growth.” 

The $20 million grant will support substantial renovations and improvements planned for the non-secure side of Terminal 5, including:

• The construction of a pedestrian bridge connecting the terminal to a new parking garage,  
• The enclosure of the terminal’s Airport Transit System platform, 
• Improved passenger check-in space, circulation on the arrivals and departures levels, and  
• An upgraded and reconfigured security screening checkpoint on the departures level, among other improvements. 

“Terminal 5 is Chicago’s gateway to the world, welcoming millions of passengers from all corners of the globe,” said CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee. “With this funding, we continue to build on the tremendous expansion of Terminal 5 we opened last year by upgrading our arrivals and departures levels to greatly enhance the traveler experience. I thank Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the entire Illinois Congressional delegation, and our partners at the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration for their ongoing support of O’Hare.” 

Today’s announcement builds on $90 million in funding already received by O’Hare from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Airport Terminal Program. Previous awards are funding the $300 million ElevateT3 project, another significant investment in the airport's aging terminal facilities that will upgrade customer amenities, improve security screening and airport operations, and expand accessibility for passengers with disabilities. Mayor Johnson joined the CDA and members of the Illinois Congressional delegation to break ground on the development in April. 

The upgrades to Terminal 5 planned for this project were approved and authorized by the airport’s 2018 Airline Use and Lease Agreement, and build upon the $1.3 billion in upgrades made in recent years, including the 2022 renovation of ten gates in the terminal’s western wing for use by Delta Air Lines, and the construction of a new, 10-gate eastern extension to the terminal, which opened in 2023. 

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