Third Airport plans for Will County revived

Latest legislation approved Wednesday

The sun sets behind the FAA control tower Tuesday at Chicago's Midway International Airport in Chicago. Southwest Airlines canceled all of its fights into and out of Midway International Airport, days after federal authorities closed the airport's control tower after technicians tested positive for the coronavirus.

State legislators said they have jump-started seemingly dormant plans to build a third major airport in Will County with a bill that was approved Wednesday.

Legislation sent to the governor would require the state to establish a process to find partners to build a south suburban airport.

The state has been buying up land in the eastern part of Will County around Monee for decades for the purpose of someday building a third regional airport for the Chicago area.

But the project has never got off the ground.

It’s not clear whether the latest legislation will move the project ahead or add to the decades-long controversy that has accompanied plans to build an airport in rural Will County where many of not most of the residents don’t want it.

“This has been discussed since 1967 to be exact,” said state Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Frankfort.

Hastings backed House Bill 2531 and said he believes it will move plans for an airport towards construction.

He noted the legislation requires the Department of Transportation to develop a pre-qualification process for potential airport developers in six months.

“This allows for people to submit proposals if they want to build an airport there,” he said.

The state in the past has looked for private development partners to build an airport that would serve as a potential freight hub for the Chicago region.

Hastings said airport development combined with Will County intermodal centers and railways will make the south suburban area “a transportation hub.”

State Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, who voted against the legislation, said the a freight airport will exacerbate trucking and road problems that already exist in Will County by putting more cargo onto area highways.

“They’re going to be trucking products into the intermodal yards as opposed to using the railways,” Ventura said.

She noted that the legislation was opposed by members of the Will County Board and the Will County Farm Bureau.

“There’s no guarantee that this legislation passing means tomorrow we’re going to have an airport,” Ventura said.