Success Story Midway Airport TSA Security Pavilion Expansion

CLIENT: Chicago Department of Aviation/F.H. Paschen
LOCATION: Chicago, IL
TIMELINE: Started 2018. Completed 2020.

THE SITUATION

For years, travelers have dealt with the cramped Transportation Security Administration (TSA) passenger checkpoint at Chicago’s Midway Airport. But in 2015, then-mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Department of Aviation announced the Midway Modernization Program (MMP), a $323 million project that included a massive expansion of the TSA security area to improve efficiency and reduce wait times as passenger volumes continued to increase.

The design for the $99-million TSA checkpoint project called for a complete reconfiguration of the security area, shifting the passenger screening lanes onto an existing pedestrian bridge suspended over Cicero Avenue. The pedestrian bridge would be widened from 50 feet to 400 feet, increasing the queuing area to 80,000 square feet.

THE MFP SOLUTION

F.H. Paschen was tapped for this major component of the Midway Modernization Program. Having worked successfully with Metropolitan Fire Protection (MFP) on other large-scale aviation projects, Paschen subcontracted with MFP to design, fabricate, and install a sophisticated new sprinkler system for the TSA security pavilion.

After designing a detailed schematic for the system, MFP fabricated all the piping in its Elk Grove Village facilities. Then, over a two-year period, an experienced MFP installation crew led by foreman Adam Williams spent days and nights working around traffic on Cicero Avenue as well as foot traffic into the fully operational airport to complete the sprinkler installation.

THE PROJECT SCOPE

MFP’s on-site work began with dismantling or capping off existing fire protection infrastructure in the bridge. Then, once the enlarged structure was ready, the crew installed miles of new piping and several hundred new sprinkler heads to create a state-of-the-art system designed to protect both passengers and sensitive screening equipment. To accommodate the unique requirements of a structure suspended over an open roadway and exposed to temperatures that drop below 40°F, MFP also installed a dry pipe sprinkler system in key areas. Filled with pressurized nitrogen instead of water, it’s designed to prevent frozen or burst sprinkler pipes and reduce potential property damage. In the event of a fire, a valve is triggered that allows water to flow into the pipes and out through the sprinkler heads to extinguish the blaze.

THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

Completed in 2020, the TSA passenger security checkpoint expansion at Midway significantly enhances the experience for travelers. Now with 17 operational screening lanes, advanced technology, and a streamlined checkpoint system, the hourly throughput of passengers has increased from 2,500 to 5,000 per hour—doubling previous capacity while maintaining the highest levels of security and, thanks to the MFP team, fire safety.