Fifty years after it first opened to air travelers, Newark Liberty International Airport’s busy Terminal A has been reintroduced as a spacious, state-of-the-art facility designed to meet modern passenger expectations at the 12th busiest airport in the U.S.
The redevelopment project marked an important milestone on Jan. 12 with the operational opening of the one-million-square-foot Terminal A. The $2.7 billion facility is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ’s) largest-ever infrastructure investment in New Jersey.
“This terminal replaces the aging Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport, which has served out its useful life,” said Joseph Cadillac, WSP construction executive.
WSP is providing construction management and inspection services to the PANYNJ for the project. Responsibilities include construction contract administration, project controls, safety management, and environmental mitigation services. The program comprised airfield modifications, a new parking facility, completely redesigned landside roadway network, and the new three-level terminal.
It is currently the largest design-build project in New Jersey’s history.
Work on the project began in April 2018 and is part of a longer-term program that will eventually result in the complete redevelopment of the airport.
©PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
This phase is part of a longer-term project which that will eventually result in the complete redevelopment of Terminal A.
Addressing Growing Air Travel Demands
Terminal A opened in 1973 and was eventually joined by Terminals B and C in Newark’s Central Terminal Area. As passenger and air cargo services grew over the decades that followed, so did the need for upgrades and modernization of airport infrastructure.
Newark, today, is one of the 30 busiest airports in the world. Located about 10 miles southwest of Manhattan, it is an integral part of the region’s wider network of airports which, together, serve as a collective gateway to the world.
In January 2023, Newark was serving 67 airlines with 604 routes to 50 countries. In that same month, 30,620 passengers passed through the airport. The all-time annual record was set in 2019, when over 46 million passengers travelled to, from, or through the transportation hub.
To accommodate this growth, PANYNJ is upgrading all of the airports it operates, including LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty.
©PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
Click on the arrows to view images of the completed Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal A project.
Adding More Gates and Flexibility
As construction manager for the Terminal A Redevelopment Program, WSP was tasked with supporting the PANYNJ Aviation and Engineering Departments in managing the design-bid-build and design-build contracts required for the replacement of the original facility.
WSP provided project management and construction management support services on this project.”
The delivery method was one of the biggest factors in this project. Thirty-three gates were constructed for the new domestic terminal and are now in service, and a dozen of those were impacted by the existing facility.
Designed as a common use terminal, all 33 gates in the new facility will be used by multiple airline carriers. The gates can also handle larger aircraft, which provides the airport with increased flexibility and efficiency, as well as the ability to optimize its operations.
©PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
Designed as a common use terminal, all 33 gates will be used by multiple airline carriers and can handle larger aircraft to provide increased flexibility and efficiency.
More Light, More Space and More Passengers
The design of the new terminal is open, modern and very spacious, featuring high ceilings and windows that allow more natural light into the facility, making it considerably brighter than the old terminal.
Also noticeable are the new check-in, security and baggage claim areas, which are designed not only to handle more passengers but also to improve the overall experience and efficiency of their travel by getting them where they need to go more quickly and efficiently.
The full design-build program for Terminal A also includes: a new climate-controlled pedestrian bridge that provides direct access to an integrated public parking facility, which will also include a new AirTrain station for the airport’s three-mile rail system connecting the airport’s three terminals and parking areas; 140 acres of airfield paving to accommodate the new terminal; and construction of a new roadway access network with eight new bridges.
When completed, the terminal will also include four airport lounges and it will be 20 percent larger than the original facility. It will also have the capability to serve more than 13 million passengers annually — an increase of nearly 45 percent from the aging terminal it replaces.
©PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
The design of the new terminal features high ceilings and windows that allow more natural light into the terminal, making it considerably brighter than the old terminal.
Coordination to Maintain Normal Operations
Since the terminal work impacted the apron area of the existing structure, careful coordination with contractors, airlines and PANYNJ was necessary to maintain the airport’s round-the-clock operations during construction.
“WSP has faced similar challenges in other aviation environments,” Cadillac said. “You’re doing ongoing construction in an operating facility and that entire mindset has to be woven into all the decisions, coordination and oversight. Constant communication with a myriad of stakeholders applies across the spectrum, with the goal to ensure everybody is on board with scheduling, outages and just to keep the project moving in the right direction.”
Another challenge was the size of the new terminal. While over a million square feet may seem like a lot of space, the sheer number of trades working in those areas — including electricians, plumbers, terrazzo installers and other contractors — were essentially working with overlapping schedules. Coordinating all of that required close attention to every detail and was a major focus for the design-build team, the PANYNJ and WSP.
©PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
Terminal work had to be coordinated in a way that would minimize its impact on round-the-clock airport operations within the existing structure as much as possible.
A New Jersey State of Mind
The long-awaited upgrade and modernization of Newark’s Terminal A also includes a variety of features aimed at providing passengers and visitors alike with, what PANYNJ describes as “a transformative and distinctly New Jersey experience.”
The work of 29 local artists is showcased throughout the terminal. Central to it all are two permanent, commissioned pieces that span the public spaces of the new departure and arrival halls. They celebrate the vitality, unique history, architecture, people and character of the state.
Community-driven art is also featured in the digital welcome banner that spans the departures area, as well as additional digital installations located throughout the terminal. The innovative program supports PANYNJ’s wider vision of transforming the traveler experience in all its facilities.
Complementing the public art program is an immersive digital environment that showcases the state’s outstanding landmarks, art and innovations through a series of permanent large-scale multimedia installations. With themes like “New Jersey Road Trip” and “Forest of Firsts,” the people, sights and achievements of the state are celebrated throughout the terminal. There are even four restrooms that feature popular New Jersey locations: the coastal shore; the forest representing Pine Barrens, Wharton State Forest; PNC Bank Arts Center; and a city abstract. All of it is aimed at showcasing what New Jersey is all about, including the food – some of which can be found at terminal concessions, too.
©PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY
Community-driven art is featured in the digital welcome banner that spans the departures area at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Looking to the Future
Newark served more than 29.1 million passengers in 2021, following a sharp decline in air travel during the pandemic. That wasn’t the only impact of COVID-19. In addition to the hygiene concerns on almost every construction project worldwide, it created supply chain issues for this project.
Materials that were typically delivered in a month often took up to six or seven months to arrive onsite. So, the teams had to work around it, by doing other work in the area and sequencing activities to ensure everything was ready to go when the materials finally arrived.
When it first opened in 1928, Newark Liberty Airport was the first such facility in the tri-state area. Today, PANYNJ is positioning it for continued growth and WSP is helping to create a Future Ready® experience for travelers and an economic boost for the region.
In November, Terminal A was achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), enabling the facility to meet high standards in environmental responsibility and sustainability.
