Battle ends over O’Hare expansion

CHICAGO – A tiny suburb’s battle with the city of Chicago over its expansion of O’Hare International Airport is over.

That clears a major obstacle that stood in the way of completing a project meant to reduce congestion at one of the world’s busiest airports.

Chicago invoked eminent domain and other laws to seize 15 percent of the village of Bensenville for the O’Hare project.

Bensenville Mayor Frank Soto said Monday that the village is dropping its challenges to the expansion of O’Hare in part because the legal costs were contributing to Bensenville’s debt.

As part of a settlement, O’Hare will pay Bensenville $16 million.