Chicago O'Hare seeks stimulus funds

Right: Extra funds for Chicago's O'Hare Airport would help the city recoup much of its debt

Chicago O'Hare Airport is seeking extra funds as part of President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package. The O’Hare Modernisation Project has already received US$20 billion from the taxpayer, but officials say that it needs more money to complete the remaining work.

Roderick Drew, a spokesman for the O’Hare Modernization Project, says, “We know that President-elect Obama is looking for shovel-ready projects to invest in. We have had discussions with the new administration and have asked that it consider the airport expansion project for funding. We have a very generous mayor, who has invested heavily, but as a result the city is more than US$400 million in debt. If we were able to get funding from the stimulus package it would mean that the City of Chicago could recoup much of its debt.”

The O'Hare Modernization Project has been criticized for design errors. Jerry Mullins, a spokesman for the Stop the O'Hare Modernization Program, claims that aircraft have to taxi for 45 minutes when switching terminals.

However, Drew says, “It would be wrong to read too much into the criticism. The expansion work has meant that we are able to get aircraft into the air and on the ground more efficiently than we ever have done.”

When the expansion work is completed in 2018, Chicago O'Hare will be able to handle 1.2 million flights a year. Last year the airport received 925,000 flights.
 

16 January 2009