Blagojevich Administration Submits Layout Plan for South Suburban
Airport to FAA
Submission Is Major Step Forward for Third Major Airport That Will
Serve as an Economic Engine for Chicago's Southland Region
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[March 10, 2008]
CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod R.
Blagojevich's administration submitted an updated airport layout
plan for the South Suburban Airport in Will County to the Federal
Aviation Administration on Friday.
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"Submitting this plan is a major step forward for the South Suburban
Airport and my administration's plans to create jobs and build the
economy in Chicago's Southland region," the governor said. "There is
a broad consensus in favor of building a third major airport to
serve the transportation needs of the area, and now we have a layout
plan that we can move forward with."The South Suburban Airport is
expected to generate 2,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, in its
first year of operation and up to 9,700 jobs by its fifth year,
according to estimates prepared by Illinois Department of
Transportation's Division of Aeronautics as part of the planning
process.
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The new layout plan shifts the airport's initial 9,500-foot
runway 600 feet to the south from what was proposed in an earlier
IDOT plan.
"IDOT's planning process has determined that this proposed runway
layout is the most environmentally sound, cost-effective and
operationally efficient alternative, and that it will (have) the
least impact on the communities in the vicinity of the airport,"
said IDOT Secretary Milton R. Sees.
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"After so many years of discussion and planning, and so much
feedback and input from the public and community leaders, it is very
exciting to submit this ‘Preferred Airfield Alternative' to the
FAA," said Susan Shea, IDOT's director of aeronautics. "What this
means is that we are kicking plans to build the South Suburban
Airport into high gear."
IDOT is asking the FAA to perform an airspace feasibility study
to determine how the runway layout would affect the nation's overall
air traffic system. While the layout plan is under review, IDOT will
be preparing an environmental impact statement and continuing land
acquisition for the new airport.
To date, IDOT has acquired 1,940 acres in the inaugural footprint
and 69 parcels of land out of a total of 133 that are needed.
IDOT's submission to the FAA can be viewed at
www.dot.il.gov/aero/ssa.html.
Additional project information is available at
www.southsuburbanairport.com.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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