Chicago O'Hare diagonal runway at center of noise complaints is closed for safety reasons

A runway at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport that has been at the center of a fight over jet noise is closed.

The Daily Herald in Arlington Heights reports (http://bit.ly/1K9PHSg ) that Runway 14-Left/32-Right was stripped of its identification numbers on Thursday.

State lawmakers and resident groups near O'Hare opposed the diagonal runway's closure because the construction of a parallel system of six runways is causing some neighborhoods to suffer from jet noise.

Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans has said the closed runway and a second diagonal runway slated for closure are unsafe because they intersect others and reduce airport efficiency.

There are four diagonal runways at O'Hare, and Evans indicates it's likely a third will be closed.

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Information from: Daily Herald, http://www.dailyherald.com