New York Construction Report staff writer
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project has received a $1.89-billion boost from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation.
“For decades, one of the busiest bus terminals in the world deteriorated and needed major upgrades and modernization,” outgoing Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Christopher Coes said in a statement. “With over 250,000 daily passengers and even higher demand predicted, this project is crucial to the region and the health of our economy, creating 6,000 construction jobs in the process.”
The new Midtown Bus Terminal, a $10-billion project, will replace the 74-year-old obsolete and deteriorated terminal with a 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.
In July, PANYNJ Board of Commissioners authorized construction contracts 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.
The deck-overs will facilitate construction of the new bus terminal and will be used for staging of buses during construction. 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 encompasses the construction of two decks over below-grade portions of Dyer Avenue and the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway between West 37th and West 38th St.’s and between West 38th and West 39th St.’s. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.
“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 PANYNJ Executive Director Rick Cotton.
The new terminal will accommodate projected commuter growth between now and 2050, provide a best-in-class customer experience that serves the region’s 21st-century public transportation needs, and enhance the surrounding community.
“This federal loan for this vital, interstate transportation facility will enable the Port Authority to build a 21st century bus terminal that commuters from New Jersey and communities in New York City deserve and will rely on for decades to come,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “I thank our federal partners for their support for a project that will generate economic benefits for our entire region while improving the quality of life for commuters and the community where the terminal is located.”
The Bureau loan will improve the Port Authority’s near-term cash flows and enable it to efficiently advance construction of this critical project as it continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and delivers on its other critical transportation projects. PANYNJ will repay the loan using net revenues from all facilities.
The new bus storage and staging facilities will serve as a temporary terminal during construction and will be paired with new ramps to and from the Lincoln Tunnel, removing busses from city streets.
The project also includes two “deck overs” at Dyer Avenue for bus operations during construction that will be converted to publicly accessible open green space when the project is complete. Additionally, the project will provide for future private development of commercial office towers at the site.
PANYNJ is a municipal corporate instrumentality and political subdivision of New York and New Jersey, created as a joint venture between both states via an interstate compact in 1921 to oversee, operate, and manage the regional transportation infrastructure.