O'Hare International Airport Taxiways Alpha and Bravo: How innovative design, alternative delivery, and collaboration relocate O'Hare's busiest taxiways to enable the $8.5 billion terminal expansion
The $8.5 billion O'Hare 21 Terminal Area Plan (TAP) will be an efficient and accessible international gateway to the world and Chicago. Construction of the new O'Hare Global Terminal and satellite concourses requires the existing Taxiways Alpha and Bravo (AB) to be relocated, as well as many critical infrastructure elements. Alpha and Bravo are the busiest taxiways at O'Hare, providing direct access to the existing domestic terminals, and as such are in continuous operation every day of the year and are never closed. Already understood to be the most complicated and ambitious taxiway project in O’Hare’s history, the relocation of Taxiways A and B grew through direct collaboration with the airport and airlines to include some of the most extensive and complex utility and infrastructure improvements in the airport’s history. The end result of those changes was the avoidance of years of program delays and tens of millions of dollars of additional costs to the future TAP construction.
Now four years into the project with $100M in construction completed with no change orders, the sixth and last major phase of construction for the East-West taxiway relocation is beginning. This presentation will discuss the development of the project from inception to date, provide insight into the elements of successful project delivery in an atmosphere of constant change, outline how collaboration with project stakeholders added extensive value to this project and the O’Hare 21program, and discuss plans for the remainder of the project.
Frank Grimaldi, Jr.
Deputy Commissioner
Chicago Department of Aviation
Frank began his career with the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) as an Airfield Operations Supervisor, where he managed day-to-day logistics, including airfield maintenance, snow removal, airfield/terminal construction, terminal management, aircraft incidents and recoveries, airfield certification and training with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He also participated in and represented CDA at various aircraft incidents and recoveries around the country. Frank had worked closely with the FAA on various Runway Safety Programs at O’Hare, as well as advising on multiple airfield topics throughout the aviation community.
In his current role, Frank serves as the Deputy Commissioner of the Design and Construction Divisions for the CDA. He leads a team of professionals in developing a five-year, $1 billion Capital Improvement Program at O’Hare that includes a $250 million program modernizing all major systems in the Heating and Refrigeration plant; a $250 million airfield improvement program on aging taxiways and runways; and $500 million in upgrades to terminals and related infrastructure to ensure that aging buildings and utility systems can support future demands.
Frank provides comprehensive knowledge, oversight and leadership of all airport development and planning activities, including development, design and management of capital projects, facilities projects, and tenant projects. He is also part of the Terminal Area Program (TAP) team, the signature component of the $8.5 billion O’Hare 21 program, which will greatly expand O’Hare’s capacity and enhance the passenger experience. He has played an integral role over the 15-year construction history of the O’ Hare Modernization Program (OMP), the $7 billion airfield reconfiguration that has reduced delays and made the airfield more efficient by adding four new runways and extending two others which was completed at the end of 2021.
Frank serves as CDA’s liaison with its airline partners and other City of Chicago departments on all capital and tenant projects. He serves as a representative for the CDA at the O’Hare and Midway Airports Construction Operations Working Group.
Frank is a frequent public speaker and presenter on behalf of CDA at events around the region, including local chambers of commerce, trade groups, the annual meeting of the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association, registered Assist Agencies like HACIA, various colleges and universities, and assorted other outreach events. He is a much-requested airfield tour guide for VIPs, airport partners and associates, and students. Frank takes great pride in representing Chicago’s airport community, as well as providing an access point for those outside our community to learn about and experience our airports.
Frank graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois, and completed the Project Management Certification Program from Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois. He also achieved the Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) designation from the prestigious American Association of Airport Executives.
Steve Elrod
Director of Aviation
EXP
As the Director of Aviation for EXP, Steve Elrod leads business development and management for a wide variety of projects at airports across the US. EXP’s portfolio under Steve’s leadership includes terminal planning and design, runway and taxiway rehabilitations and reconfigurations, air traffic control towers, landside roadways and bridges, utility improvements, security systems, maintenance facilities, automated people movers, and many other projects in all corners of airports. Steve has over 25 years of experience in engineering design and management, and 16 years of directly leading nearly $1B of numerous complex and mega airfield projects at O’Hare International Airport, including new Runways 9L-27R and 10R-28L, new Taxiways K and L, the rehabilitation of Runways 10L-28R and 4R-22L, and most recently the Relocation of Taxiways Alpha and Bravo, considered the most complicated taxiway project ever undertaken at O’Hare. Steve also oversees architectural design contracts at DFW International Airport, and other airports in the US.
The hallmarks of Steve’s projects are attention to detail; effective stakeholder collaboration; phasing that maximizes construction efficiency and minimizes operational disruptions; big picture planning and innovative improvements; and minimal changes in construction.
Alan Dadian
Vice President
F.H. Paschen
In his 42 years of industry experience, Alan has managed multiple large capital development programs in the aviation and transit sectors from inception through construction, including overseeing the planning and design process. He has extensive construction management expertise working on major infrastructure projects and has an outstanding track record of delivering complicated projects on time and within budget.
Alan also served as the Director of the Program Management Office for the Capital Improvement Program at O’Hare Airport and Midway Airport in Chicago, managing a staff of 120 professionals working on planning, design, quality, safety, project controls, and construction. He created streamlined procedures for operations and controls that integrated all facets of the CIP program, inclusive of master schedule and work breakdown structure to track funding for construction and project-specific costs.
Alan is currently serving as Construction Executive for the CM at Risk contract on the widely acclaimed 8.5b ORD 21 program. He is leading a team constructing key enabling projects that reroute taxiways and related infrastructure to facilitate construction of future terminal construction.