Newark Liberty International Airport is moving ahead with near-term upgrades to Terminal B as officials plan a longer-term replacement of the 53-year-old facility. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) commissioners authorized the first $75 million for a broader $200 million modernization effort earlier this month intended to improve the passenger experience while redevelopment continues.
The funding represents one component of the board’s EWR Vision Plan, which includes the recently completed Terminal A, a future replacement Terminal B, improvements to Terminal C and reliable transit access into the airport. The plan also replaces the 2.5-mile AirTrain Newark system.
The airport’s Terminal A was completed in 2023 and won several prestigious awards, including 2023 Project of the Year from ASCE in New Jersey and a 5-Star Terminal rating from Skytrax. Officials say the recently completed Terminal A provides a glimpse of the standards they hope to achieve in future airport redevelopment projects.
Commissioners said current passengers should not have to wait 10 years to enjoy improvements to the traveling experience through EWR. The funding will support customer-facing upgrades, including the modernization of elevators, escalators, boarding bridges, restrooms and baggage areas. Areas around the gate experience, including flooring, seating and lighting, also will be updated.
The near-term project, expected to be completed in three years, is the first phase of a multiphase effort intended to maintain and modernize Terminal B until a replacement terminal opens in the mid-2030s. A subsequent phase includes improvements to HVAC and baggage handling systems.
When the 53-year-old Terminal B opened, it was designed to handle 6.8 million passengers annually, but that number grew to 11.5 million passengers last year. Port Authority officials frame the current phase as one that encompasses changes customers can feel as they use the terminal.
The redevelopment initiative is structured as a public-private partnership. While the AirTrain system overhaul has already advanced into contracting and construction, the long-term Terminal B redevelopment remains in the planning stages, with future procurement opportunities still to come.
Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels
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