Planning for the South Suburban Airport began in
1984 as a cooperative venture between the states of Illinois, Indiana,
Wisconsin, the city of Chicago and the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). After many studies, the airport location
alternatives were narrowed to five sites in 1990. The state of Illinois
submitted an Environmental Assessment to FAA in March 1998 for
the approval of development of an airport at a site in eastern Will
County, Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)
began purchasing land surrounding the Will County airport site in
2002 with funding of $75 million earmarked by the Illinois FIRST
program. The present study attempts to evaluate and analyze the
candidate airport sites for buildability of South Suburban Airport.
The specific objectives of this study include developing the location
and layout plan for the proposed airport facility. The planning and
design of an airport is such a complex process that the analysis of
one activity without regard to its effect on all other activities will not
provide acceptable solutions. With this in mind, the current study
was undertaken. The study eventually followed the framework of an
airport master plan which is a concept of the ultimate development of
a specific airport.
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