Remnant of runway 14L-32R (Chicago, Illinois)

Comments

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  DaveKilo

  This is one of the original four runways of the 1943-built Orchard Place airfield, which was a manufacturing facility for WWII transports. The other three original strips are now known as 4L-22R and 9R-27L and Taxiway GG, the former Runway 18-36 that was decommissioned in 2003. Built as Runway 14-32, it originally was about 5,700' in length, by the late 1950s it was extended to about 7,800', and by the mid-1960s it achieved its current length of 10,003' (+/- 3'). When Runway 14R-32L opened in 1955, this runway became 14L-32R. The runway has gradually decreased in operational importance, but it still has a role in certain wind and visibility conditions. When new Runway 10C-28C opens in 2011, Runway 14L-32R is expected to be closed. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, this runway and its parallel sibling 14R-32R were by far the two most important ones, handling a majority of O'Hare's traffic. Together, they were among the very first in the world to be certified for simultaneous parallel instrument approaches in very low visibility. Landings in the northwest (32R) direction are now rare.

  16 years ago | reply | hide comment
• 
  DaveKilo

  With the opening of new Runway 10R-28L in October 2015, historic Runway 14L-32R, once the airport's second most important runway, is now permanently closed, after 72 years of stalwart service.

  10 years ago | reply | hide comment