PANYNJ awards contract to Tutor Perini Corporation to construct interim terminal during Midtown Bus Terminal construction

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners have authorized a $1.87 billion contract to Tutor Perini Corporation to construct a new facility that will serve as the interim terminal during construction of the new Midtown Bus Terminal with a new, modernized ramp structure that will allow direct access to and from the Lincoln Tunnel. The interim terminal will later transition to a bus storage and staging facility after completion of the main terminal.  

PANYNJ says the award of the contract comes a month after the agency broke ground on the Dyer Avenue deck-overs, which will consist of two decks built 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. It will serve as a bus staging and operations area during construction of the main terminal and later be transformed into 3.5 acres of new publicly accessible open green space after construction of the new bus terminal is complete.  

According to the authority, the contract includes the construction of the core and shell of the new staging and storage facility at a guaranteed maximum price of $1.87 billion. The remainder of the components will be procured by Tutor Perini Corporation through a series of competitive bid processes, with the oversight and approval of the authority.  Those components will be procured closer to the time needed in order to reduce cost risk and ensure price certainty. 

“This contract award moves us from planning to progress on some of the most essential elements of the new Midtown Bus Terminal,” said PANYNJ Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “The storage and staging facility and new ramp structure will form the operational backbone of the future terminal, all with an eye toward reducing congestion, improving reliability and delivering a more seamless commute through a facility that better connects with the surrounding vibrant neighborhood.” 

PANYNJ Executive Director Rick Cotton added, “The storage and staging facility is a key piece of the new bus terminal project and today’s contract authorization represents real momentum toward delivering on a brand-new, 21st century Midtown Bus Terminal that is worthy of the region. The storage and staging facility is essential to our ability to build the new terminal in place while keeping buses and passengers moving efficiently, and once the terminal opens, this facility will take idling buses off city streets and relieve bus congestion inside the terminal itself.” 

Once the new terminal is complete, the facility will transition into a bus storage and staging area with capacity for up to 350 buses. The facility will also include electric charging stations to allow buses to charge during their midday layover.  

The new modernized ramp structure will feature safer, wider lanes, as well as extended vertical clearances to allow the facility to accommodate double-decker buses. The structure will also allow buses to change floors or gates without leaving the facility, eliminating the need for buses to circulate on city streets. It also includes a bypass lane to maintain traffic flow around stalled or disabled buses. According to the authority, the ramp and staging facility are expected to improve reliability, reduce congestion, bus parking and bus idling on local streets and create a more seamless commuting experience. 

PANYNJ says both elements of the project will provide for ground-level, street-facing retail space in the area once the new bus terminal is complete for the convenience of commuters and the community. The authority notes 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 project does not include the taking of any private property as it will be built on existing PANYNJ property stretching as far west as 11th Ave. 

The authority says the final plan for the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project incorporates extensive public feedback from a broad community outreach effort, including input from New York City, New Jersey, commuters, local community boards, elected officials in both states and an extensive federal environmental review led by the Federal Transit Administration.