Port Authority Board of Commissioners authorizes contract for Dyer Avenue deck-overs

Deck-Overs Will Ultimately Create 3.5 Acres of Public Open Green Space After the Completion of New Bus Terminal

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Board of Commissioners today authorized construction contracts for the Dyer Avenue deck-overs, which are the first contracts associated with the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project. The 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 Board’s action authorized contracts to construct the $271 million Dyer Avenue deck-overs while the actual award is pending the completion of an environmental review by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A final Environmental Impact Statement followed by a Record of Decision are both expected later this summer. 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 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 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.”

“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.”

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.

The $10 billion world-class 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 plan for the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement reflects public feedback from extensive community outreach, including input from New York City, commuters, local community boards and elected officials in both states. The draft environmental impact statement has been prepared to permit construction of a full three-part building plan, which includes a new main terminal, a storage and staging facility with new ramps directly into the Lincoln Tunnel, and deck-overs that will be converted to publicly accessible open space once the terminal is completed. The project also includes a wide array of community benefits, including:

• Added capacity to allow curbside inter-city buses that currently pick up and drop off on city streets surrounding the bus terminal to move their operations inside the bus terminal and off the streets.

• The creation at the end of construction of 3.5 acres of publicly accessible green spaces on Port Authority property by decking over the currently below-grade Dyer Avenue “cut” and building open space on top of the new deck-overs.

• New concessions and retail amenities that will be accessible from the streets in the community as well as from inside the bus terminal.

• The construction of significantly improved and attractive facades, enhancing the visual quality of the new bus terminal to become an asset rather than an eyesore to the surrounding neighborhoods. This design includes an iconic atrium entrance on 41^st Street and Eighth Avenue.

The new bus terminal will be built for the future and designed to be net-zero emissions, serving all-electric bus fleets and implementing 21^st century technology at every turn. For instance, a world-class traffic management system — including sensor-based monitoring systems — will enable quicker, smoother movement of buses into and out of the new terminal and provide remote monitoring of bus engines to reduce breakdowns in express bus lanes. The building will also include visionary sustainability and resiliency measures, from LEED certification and clean construction to onsite renewable energy, zoned heating and cooling systems, and heat recovery and reuse technology. Community-friendly outward-facing local retail will benefit commuters and the community alike.

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 provide 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 11^th 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.