Gary Airport awards $15M contract for new cargo ramp
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Gary/Chicago International Airport is continuing efforts to expand cargo service by awarding a $15 million contract to Portage-based Superior Construction Co. for the construction of a new Cargo and General Aviation Ramp.
The airport said the contract is the largest awarded since the 2015 expansion of the airport’s main runway.
The announcement comes about four months after the airport acquired nearly five acres of additional land for $925,000 that would specifically be used for cargo service expansion.
“This bid is a significant step forward in the evolution of our increasingly important cargo and logistics sector, which has seen tremendous growth since it first launched less than 5 years ago,” Airport Executive Director Dan Vicari said in written remarks. “The contract will not only enable future aviation operation expansion but will further the airport’s mission of being an economic engine for northwest Indiana and support working families throughout the area.”
Construction of the new ramp is expected to take about five months to complete. The airport said the new infrastructure will occupy 8.5 acres of concrete ramp over a 50-acre site.
The project is part of the first phase of the airport’s long-term plan for cargo service, which was announced in 2024. In addition to the cargo ramp, the airport is also installing a jet fuel service pipeline to service large-capacity storage tanks.
The airport said the project will create 85 construction jobs for the duration of the buildout.
Cargo services have ramped up at the airport since 2020 when UPS signed a long-term lease agreement to operate out of Gary. Since that time, the airport says it has moved up to third in the state for freight volume and anticipates further growth in the coming years.
UPS extended its agreement with the airport last November.