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Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) has reached a pivotal milestone in its largest terminal expansion in decades. Officials issuED foundation and initial crane permits for the new Concourse D this week. The approvals move the long-anticipated project from early site preparation into full construction and mark a major step forward for the airport’s sweeping ORDNext redevelopment program.
The concourse has spent years in planning and been delayed multiple times since first being announced in 2018. It’s great to see that Concourse D is now firmly underway. The $1.3 billion project will deliver a 580,000-square-foot remote concourse connected to the existing Concourse C. This will enhance the airport’s gate capacity and prepare it for future growth. Vertical construction is expected to begin early next year with completion slated for late 2028.
The concourse is being designed by a team led by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in partnership with Ross Barney Architects, JGMA, and Arup. The three-level structure will feature 19 new gates with most intended for narrow-body aircraft. Eighteen of the gates can be combined into nine wide-body positions to enable what officials describe as the nation’s first domestic-international codeshare concourse. The flexible gate layout supports both future traffic growth and improved connectivity for global airline partners.
A striking central rotunda will anchor the new facility. It will be crowned by a large oculus that will bring natural light into a garden-inspired seating space. This area will include 30,000 square feet of lounges and a variety of concessions. I’m hoping we’ll finally get a credit card lounge from American Express, Capital One, or Chase. The rotunda will also connect to a tunnel that will ultimately link Concourse D to the airport’s forthcoming Global Terminal and a future concourse planned further west.
Throughout the concourse, tree-like structural columns will pay homage to the airport’s original name, Orchard Field. Designed to evoke a sense of openness, these elements will support a modern architectural environment aimed at improving passenger comfort and circulation.
Construction is being executed by a joint venture of major contractors including AECOM, Hunt, Clayco, and Bowa Construction. According to city officials, the new concourse represents one of the most significant steps toward modernizing the airport’s infrastructure and maintaining its role as a leading international gateway.
The broader ORDNext program will eventually deliver a new Global Terminal, expanded concourses, and upgraded transit links between them. Concourse D is the first major terminal structure to break ground in this redevelopment effort and will serve as a template for the modernization still to come. Once completed, the facility is expected to strengthen operational efficiency, increase gate availability, and enhance the passenger experience at one of the world’s busiest airports.
Anthony’s Take: I’m excited for this new concourse in 2028. Let’s see how much of it United fills.
(Image Credits: SOM, Ross Barney, Arup, and JGMA.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
