New York Construction Report staff writer
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has advanced construction preparations for an $11-billion replacement of the Midtown Bus Terminal, moving into the next phase of work on a new bus storage and staging facility that will serve as a temporary terminal during construction.
The facility will accommodate bus operations while the existing Port Authority Bus Terminal is demolished and replaced with a modern main terminal designed to handle projected commuter growth through 2040-2050.
The project is intended to improve bus service between New York and New Jersey, where hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents commute to jobs in New York City.
Preparatory work follows the demolition of an existing ramp that carries buses from the Lincoln Tunnel to the current terminal for evening commuter service. The space will be used for the new storage and staging facility.
The ramp demolition has required evening commuter buses to use a newly constructed connection to West 39th Street between Ninth and 10th avenues. Morning peak-hour service is unaffected because buses use a separate ramp connected to the Lincoln Tunnel’s Exclusive Bus Lane.
The temporary facility is expected to be completed in 2030. Once the new main terminal opens in 2035, it will transition into a permanent bus storage and staging area with capacity for 300 to 350 buses. It will also include electric charging stations for buses during midday layovers.
The replacement terminal will feature an indoor atrium, street-facing retail spaces and improved passenger facilities. The project also includes a modernized ramp structure covering the block bounded by 10th and 11th avenues and West 39th and 40th streets, providing a direct connection between the terminal and the Lincoln Tunnel.
The new ramps will have wider lanes, increased vertical clearances to accommodate double-decker buses and the ability for buses to change floors or gates without travelling on city streets. A bypass lane will allow traffic to continue moving around stalled or disabled buses.
Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said the project involves complex construction within the limited operational footprint of the existing terminal.
“When construction is finished, we will finally have a modern, 21st century bus terminal and ramp infrastructure that will no longer be a bane to bus riders or an eyesore to this community,” O’Toole said.
The Port Authority began construction of the Dyer Avenue deck-overs in May 2025. The platforms, being built over Dyer Avenue and the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway between West 37th and West 39th streets, will provide bus staging and operational space during construction of the main terminal.
Once construction is complete, the tops of the deck-overs will be converted into approximately 3.5 acres of publicly accessible green space.
The overall project also includes new retail and concession areas accessible from both the terminal and surrounding streets. The Port Authority said the work will take place on its existing property and will not require the acquisition of private property.
The replacement plan was developed following consultation with commuters, local community boards, New York City officials and elected representatives in New York and New Jersey.
The Port Authority is working with NJ TRANSIT and the New York City Department of Transportation to manage construction impacts and maintain commuter service throughout the project.
