The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has prepared a Preliminary Draft Concept Alternatives report for the Inaugural Airport Program (IAP), South Suburban Airport. This document provides information on the airfield (runway location and configuration), landside access (access roads) and passenger terminal concept alternatives examined by IDOT. Sections 1 through 5 of the document present an analysis of potential ultimate airport runway configurations and landside access systems. This analysis was performed to ensure that initial airport development at SSA does not preclude potential airport facilities, if they are needed in the future. Sections 6 through 10 focus on concept alternatives for the primary runway, crosswind runway, landside access and passenger terminal, and support facilities for the first five years of airport operation (IAP).

Sections 11 and 12 examine potential concepts of the airport twenty years after opening. The Draft Concept Alternatives report has been submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for their review. To download a copy of the report, click on the following link:

• View the Draft Concept Alternatives Report

IDOT Preferred Inaugural Airport Configuration & ALP Review Checklist

The original Preferred Inaugural Airport Concept was submitted to the FAA for preliminary review in September 2005. Subsequently IDOT revised this concept to address the objections raised by Federal agencies regarding the magnitude of the environmental impacts incurred by the original preferred concept on Black Walnut Creek. In December 2006, IDOT presented two revised airfield concepts to the general public for discussion and input: the IDOT Inaugural Airport Layout Plan and the ALNAC Inaugural Airport Layout Plan. Both of these plans incorporated airfield changes that would diminish the impacts on Black Walnut Creek and address the environmental concerns raised by the Federal agencies on the original IAP concept. These plans also reflect the airfield improvements undertaken at Bult Field since the release of the Preferred Inaugural Concept.

In early 2007 both IDOT’s Inaugural Plan and the ALNAC plan were submitted to FAA for review. The FAA declined reviewing two concepts for the Inaugural Airport and returned the plans to IDOT for further consideration and refinement recommending that only one preferred plan should be submitted for review. In the light of these developments IDOT re-examined all alternatives with the goal of refining and optimizing the airfield configuration in relation to the previously described concepts.

In January 2008 IDOT undertook the evaluation of additional concept alternatives for the Inaugural Airport. The primary goal was to evaluate alternative locations for the Inaugural Runway and select a Preferred Alternative. The following site criteria were established to guide the selection of alternatives:

1. All alternatives must be located within the Inaugural Airport boundary as indicated in the Tier 1 EIS;
2. All alternatives must provide the same airfield facilities and functional layouts;
3. All alternatives must be located such that anticipated 65 DNL aircraft noise levels are contained within the Inaugural Airport boundary; and,
4. All alternatives will incorporate Bult Field to serve General Aviation requirements.

On March 7, 2008 IDOT submitted its Preferred Inaugural Airport Configuration to FAA for their review. To download a copy of the report and the Preliminary Airport Layout Plans (ALP), click on the following link:

• View the "Selection of IDOT Preferred Inaugural Airport Configuration" report, ALP drawings, and ALP review checklist