New York Construction Report staff writer
The board of commissioners at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has approved $55 million in funding to kick off the planning process for a new Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport. The board approved funding yesterday. (Oct. 25)
This new terminal will replace the existing Terminal B, which opened in 1973 and has “struggled to meet evolving passenger and industry needs,” according to the Port Authority. The current terminal was designed to accommodate 6.8 million passengers annually but handled 12.3 million passengers in 2023.
“With the EWR Vision Plan in place, we are wasting no time getting the ball rolling on the planning for a new world-class Terminal B,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said in a statement. “This funding will allow us to start initial planning work on a new modern Terminal B, including developing a funding strategy, and explore how it fits into the larger redevelopment of Newark Liberty that aims to elevate this airport into one of the best in the world.”
The $55 million in funding will be used for preliminary design work, infrastructure planning and assessment of the new terminal’s needs. The Port Authority also said the funds would be used to determine “feasible financing strategies” and for community outreach.
The new Terminal B is part of the larger EWR Vision Plan, which was unveiled this month and includes a complete reimagining of the rest of the airport. This includes new terminals and infrastructure, a more intuitive roadway network and a redesigned taxiway network to accommodate aircraft more efficiently. The plan was developed by design firm Arup and architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).
“A world-class travel experience starts with a world-class plan, which we’re excited to kick off the preliminary design phase of Newark Liberty’s Terminal B,” said Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton in the same statement. “This funding will allow us to develop a roadmap to deliver a new Terminal B to match the award-winning Terminal A. The robust accolades received at Newark and LaGuardia – along with the major construction happening across JFK’s footprint – demonstrates that the Port Authority is more than capable of delivering best-in-class airport facilities.”
The board previously approved $20 million in funding for the EWR Vision Plan in October 2019. The new $35 million in funding will be combined with the remaining $20 million from the previous allocation.
