Constructing a 10,800-ft-long by 200-ft-wide runway at the center of the world's second-busiest airport not only required complex phasing to maintain full operation of the existing airfield but also the relocation of an active cemetery and major cargo facilities. The project also included the decommissioning of an 1,840-acre detention basin and maintenance of capacity during construction.
The $1.3-billion project, part of the first phase of an $8-billion initiative to modernize O'Hare, also included acquisition and demolition of hundreds of residences.