As O'Hare Expanded, Time Lapse Shows Demise Of Bensenville Neighborhood
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The legal battles were long and hard-fought, but, in the end, plans to expand O'Hare International Airport won out over protests from residents of Bensenville, who fought to save their homes from being taken over.
The residents were paid for their homes and left.
The expansion ultimately leveled about 500 homes and relocated 1,000 graves from St. Johannes Cemetery.
The time-lapse above shows the dramatic change over the past few years.
New runways, airport support buildings, and internal roadways were constructed on the newly acquired airport land.
The O'Hare Modernization Program calls for building one new runway, extending another runway and relocating a third.
A new northern runway opened in November 2008.
Chicago invoked eminent domain to seize part of Bensenville for the project. Mayor Richard Daley said expanding O'Hare was vital to Chicago's economy and would ease air traffic delays.