O'Hare officials still see runway in 3 years

The first new runway at O'Hare International Airport in years will open Nov. 20, but don't expect travel delays to drop significantly.

Instead, it's not until 2011, when a second new runway is commissioned, that delays could drop by 36 percent.

But litigation and the logistics of moving graves in a cemetery located in the runway's path could affect that timetable, a Chicago official acknowledged.

"We're still holding onto the 2011 schedule, but I have to tell you we're feeling the pressures," O'Hare Modernization Program Executive Director Rosemarie Andolino said during a Thursday taping of WBBM-780 AM's "At Issue" series.

Lawsuits in state and federal court seeking to block the runway on the basis of religious freedom are continuing, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear a third case.

And if the litigation is settled in the city's favor, "we still have to work with next of kin and the families," Andolino said. "That's a sensitive process and I don't know now what the timing will be."

The city hopes to finish the modernization by 2014.

O'Hare modernization will create parallel runways at the airport, cutting down on delays and adding flight capacity.

But land acquisition, rising construction prices and lawsuits have bumped the cost of the project from $6.6 billion to more than $8 billion.

The city is using fees from tickets, federal grants and bonds backed by airlines to fund the work but there's concerns strains on the aviation industry also will affect funding.

Asked what will happen if major carriers such as American Airlines and United Airlines -- hit with skyrocketing fuel prices -- balk at financial support, Andolino said O'Hare expansion is in the industry's interests.

"The only way to increase capacity and reduce delays is to add infrastructure," she said. "Airplanes burn a lot more fuel when they have to circle the airport because they can't land at their scheduled time. If they can move more efficiently, that will save them on their bottom line as well."

In a March letter to the airlines, city officials said they were developing a Plan B to finance construction independent of the airlines, but added such an option could end up costing more.

Airport expansion foes were skeptical.

"Where's the money going to come from," asked attorney Joseph Karaganis, who represents the Suburban O'Hare Commission.

"At Issue" airs on Sunday.