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X on the Runway

A city closed its own airport with bulldozers, in the dark.

Collection: Chicago · USA · Open in OpenStreetMap

Light planes parked at Meigs Field, 1997
Light planes parked at Meigs Field, 1997 · David Wilson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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How the story begins

At about half past one in the morning, city crews began tearing up a working airport. By sunrise on 31 March 2003, Meigs Field had six great Xs gouged into its only runway. Mayor Richard M. Daley had ordered it. He had not told the City Council, the state, or the Federal Aviation Administration. More than a dozen planes were caught on the field, and they had to leave by the taxiway.

The rest is in the app. Peplos plays the full story when you reach the place. You can also listen ahead of time.

Visiting

1521 South Linn White Drive. The park is open daily, 6 am to 11 pm. Parts of the island can be closed around concerts, and Lakefront Trail repairs were under way in autumn 2026, so watch for signs.

Sources

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