New York Construction Report staff writer
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Board of Commissioners has authorized construction contracts totalling $271` million for the Dyer Avenue deck-overs; the first contracts associated with the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project.
The contract for construction of the deck-overs will be awarded to MLJ Contracting of Great Neck, N.Y. and the contract for construction management will be awarded to AECOM Tishman.
Deck-overs will facilitate construction of the new bus terminal and will be used for staging of buses during construction. Ultimately, the deck-overs will be transformed into 3.5 acres of new publicly accessible open green space after construction of the new bus terminal is complete.
The Dyer Avenue deck-overs project includes construction of two decks over below-grade portions of Dyer Avenue and the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway between West 37th and West 38th streets and between West 38th and West 39th streets. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.
“Today’s vote by the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners to authorize the first construction contracts for early works related to a new Midtown Bus Terminal is an emphatic step forward to replace an aging eyesore with a new, state-of-the-art transportation facility fit for our region,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “We are replacing what’s been a commuters’ nightmare for decades with what will be a beautiful, efficient new bus terminal that will be the world-class gateway our region deserves.”
In addition to the federal environmental review, the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project is proceeding through New York City’s land use review process.
The new Midtown Bus Terminal will replace the existing 73-year-old, functionally obsolete and rundown terminal with a long-overdue world-class facility. Reliable and efficient bus service between New York and New Jersey is critical to the interconnected economies of both states, as hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents work in New York City. The new terminal is designed to meet projected 2040-2050 commuter growth, provide a best-in-class customer experience that serves the region’s 21st century public transportation needs, and enhance the surrounding community.
“After years of planning, dozens of community meetings and a lengthy federal environmental review, we look forward to beginning the early works on a project many had thought would never happen: a new, best-in-class Midtown Bus Terminal,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Once complete, the new transit hub will take its place alongside our new airports as a beautiful, efficient and fitting gateway to our region that will benefit travelers and will become a valued community asset.”
The $10 billion facility will include a new 2.1 million square-foot main terminal, a separate storage and staging building and new ramps leading directly into and out of the Lincoln Tunnel. The project plan — including a proposal for the permanent closure of a portion of 41st Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues, a central main entrance, more street-level retail, and a multi-story indoor atrium and new public open space — will enhance both the commuter and community experience at the world’s busiest bus terminal. The project is expected to create approximately 6,000 good-paying union construction jobs.
The Port Authority’s construction plan for the new bus terminal is being developed with input from carriers, customers, the local community, world-renowned engineering and construction experts, and innovative architectural and design firms.
Current plans are for a phased construction approach with the staging and bus storage facility to be built first, so that it can serve as a temporary terminal while the existing terminal is demolished and rebuilt. The proposal has eliminated the taking of private property as it would be built on existing Port Authority property stretching as far west as 11th Avenue.
The project is expected to be constructed in phases, with a temporary terminal and new ramps completed in 2028 and the new main terminal completed in 2032.
