PANYNJ Board authorizes contracts for Dyer Avenue deck-overs to facilitate Midtown Bus Terminal construction

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners authorized construction contracts for the Dyer Avenue deck-overs. These will be 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. 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 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.  “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. 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 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 St. 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. 

PANYNJ'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 PANYNJ 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 41st St. and 8th Ave.

The new bus terminal will be built for the future and designed to be net-zero emissions, serving all-electric bus fleets and implementing 21st century technology.