Newsstand - WSJ: How a New Runway At O’Hare Makes Travel Easier for All...

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

JULY 23, 2009

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is no longer the tar pit of the nation’s air-transportation system.
In the eight months since a new runway opened at the U.S.’s second-busiest airport, plagued for decades with lengthy flight delays, O’Hare has operated with above-average on-time arrivals—better than Dallas, Atlanta and Denver in 2009, according to FlightStats.com. O’Hare’s on-time arrival rate improved by 27% so far this year compared with the same period of 2008. That was twice the improvement of any other big U.S. airport.
The new runway, opened last Nov. 21, gets much of the credit. While airline reductions in flight schedules have eased congestion and reduced flight delays, the ability to now land three planes simultaneously in most weather conditions instead of two jets at a time has turned O’Hare from a choke point into a reliable airport.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203739404574290030754087254.html

Ssshhh...don't tell anyone that government can work.

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How much does a new runway cost...?

what's the cost on the new runway?

Do they factor in the 30 minute taxi times, or do they only count touchdown times? ;)

(Kidding...I know it's gate arrival time, but I've heard horror stories of taxiing for what seems like longer than the flight time when landing on the new runway.)

Landed on the new runway the day after it opened on a UA flight, and I swear there was enough time for a meal service getting to a gate.
Pilot came on to let us know.

If they were really concerned about fuel, ought to have towers (aircraft tow vehicle) waiting.

what's the cost on the new runway?

Main cost is getting all the approvals and permissions. Neighboring towns have been waging war for years against any ORD expansion. Continual lawsuits, huge problems acquiring the land etc.

what's the cost on the new runway?

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How much does a new runway cost...?

From the article:

The runway and tower cost $457 million and took about three years to construct, including demolition of property on 126 acres of land in Des Plaines, Ill., the airport acquired.

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why the need for the extra tower...?

Ssshhh...don't tell anyone that government can work.
:p

So which governor had his hand in this pie? It is why government works.

Is the new runway the one where you have to taxi by all the hangars and are a mile away from the terminal? If so, my goodness, that was the loooongest taxi I've think I've ever seen.

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why the need for the extra tower...?Sight lines, most likely.

Is the new runway the one where you have to taxi by all the hangars and are a mile away from the terminal? If so, my goodness, that was the loooongest taxi I've think I've ever seen.Interesting how all the complaints about arrival/departure delays at O'Hare instantly shift to complaints about long taxiing as soon as O'Hare fixes the arrival/departure delays. :D :D :D

Now address the issue of waiting on the tarmac for a gate to open up at ORD.