Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and its construction partners celebrated a significant milestone on Friday, marking the placement of the final beam on a new six-story parking garage at O’Hare International Airport's Terminal 5. This event, known as a "topping-off," signifies an important step in the city's ongoing efforts to modernize the airport.

Members of the construction team participated in a ceremony where they signed the final beam before it was installed in the structure. Once fully operational later this year, this new facility will more than double the current parking capacity at Terminal 5, which caters to both domestic and international passengers.

In addition to increased space, the garage will incorporate state-of-the-art technology designed to enhance passenger experience. This includes a real-time parking guidance system indicating available spaces and electric vehicle charging stations.

"Investments in ground transportation and curbside improvements are an important complement to the transformational modernization happening across O’Hare," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Our goal is to ensure a world-class traveling experience during every step of the journey into, through and out of the airport."

The new garage will offer 2,600 spaces when it opens later this year, replacing the current surface parking lot. It will provide both short-term and long-term parking options similar to those at other main terminals at O'Hare. The phased construction approach has allowed part of the existing surface lot to remain open during construction while CDA promoted alternative parking options in other garages to minimize disruption for Terminal 5 customers.

"This new garage is an important component of providing a modern, comfortable experience for our passengers," said CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee. "Throughout this complex project, we have taken extensive steps to reduce impact on customers as much as possible while ensuring project capacity among diverse firms of all sizes."

The Terminal 5 Garage project is managed by joint venture AECOM Hunt Clayco BOWA, with support from 60 contractors, including 14 MBE and 14 WBE firms. This project reflects CDA's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in airport contracting.

Further landside improvements will include re-striping of airport roadways to rebalance lane capacity and an expansion of the curbside area. This will encompass physical drive lanes, dedicated entry and exit roadways, escalators, and pedestrian areas.

These enhancements are part of the larger O’Hare 21 program, aimed at transforming O’Hare’s terminal complex into a modern global hub designed for efficiency and passenger comfort.