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Disagreement Over Proposed Third Chicago Airport
(IRN)-Several lawmakers from northern Illinois are again expressing opposition to a proposed third airport south of Chicago in Peotone, opting instead to invest in infrastructure that's already built and doesn't need too much expansion.

State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) is one such lawmaker. He says the Chicago/Rockford International Airport can already handle the world's largest aircraft, can accommodate up to five million passengers a year, and would be a good alternative for his district's residents.

"Many of the passengers are coming from McHenry County, DeKalb County, Boone County, Winnebago County, and for them, it's much easier and quicker to come over to Rockford."

Syverson claims General Mitchell Int'l Airport in Milwaukee continues to grow in part because many disgruntled O'Hare passengers are choosing to go there in increasing numbers. He's encouraging further investment in Rockford not only because it makes sense, but because it will keep money in Illinois.

A Peotone airport would also keep revenue in Illinois, but Syverson asks, at what cost? He says it doesn't make any sense to spend $100 million of the state's capital plan on land acquisition when the project isn't guaranteed to take off, given dire federal and state budget constraints.

Syverson estimates expanding O’Hare and Rockford would take much less time, and much less money, than constructing a new airport in Peotone.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
03 25 11 by Newsroom
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