Port Authority approves $75M Newark Terminal B phase

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved $75 million on May 20 for the first phase of a broader $200 million overhaul of Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport. The agency said the work is part of a three-year program in its 2026-2035 capital plan to modernize the 53-year-old terminal while planning continues for a replacement facility in the mid-2030s. The first package targets gate areas, restrooms, elevators and escalators, according to the Port Authority. The action comes as Newark remains under pressure from heavy passenger volumes and continuing redevelopment across the airport. ### Why is Terminal B getting money now if it will eventually be replaced? Terminal B opened in 1973 and was built for about 6.8 million passengers a year, the Port Authority said. Last year, roughly 11.5 million travelers passed through the terminal, according to the agency, which said the near-term work is meant to keep the facility operating while a new Terminal B is planned. The Port Authority said the $200 million program is included in its 2026-2035 Capital Plan, approved in December 2025. That plan funds a new Terminal B at Newark, along with the broader redevelopment of the airport and a replacement AirTrain Newark system. ### What does the first $75 million phase actually pay for? (panynj.gov) The initial $75 million authorization covers what the Port Authority described as immediate upgrades inside Terminal B. The agency said the work will improve gate seating and circulation areas and address aging restrooms, escalators, elevators, lighting and other passenger-facing spaces. (panynj.gov) NJ.com reported the overhaul will be carried out in phases over the next three years. The Port Authority said the first phase is intended to maintain the terminal until a full replacement opens in the mid-2030s. ### Where does the new station entry fit into this? The Port Authority has separately launched a $160 million project to add a new entry point to the Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station. (panynj.gov) That project, announced in June 2025, is designed to give residents of Newark’s South Ward and North Elizabeth direct access to the station served by AirTrain Newark, Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT. (nj.com) The AJOT account of the Terminal B action linked the terminal work to that new access point, which connects local residents to the Airport Train station and onward service to New York City. The Port Authority said the station-access project is expected to cut travel time for some nearby residents to Newark Liberty and Newark Penn Station to about 10 minutes on a one-seat ride. (panynj.gov) ### How does this fit into Newark’s larger rebuild? The Port Authority unveiled its EWR Vision Plan in 2024 as the long-range blueprint for Newark Liberty. In October 2024, the board approved $55 million to begin planning for a replacement Terminal B, calling it the first major step in that redevelopment. (ajot.com) AirTrain Newark is also being replaced under a separate $3.5 billion project. The Port Authority broke ground on that system in October 2025 and said in January 2026 that the new AirTrain is expected to open in 2030. ### What happens next? (panynj.gov) The Port Authority said the first phase of Terminal B work will begin in 2026 as part of the three-year, $200 million program. Planning for a new Terminal B is continuing on a separate track, with the agency saying the replacement terminal is expected to open in the mid-2030s. (panynj.gov 1) (panynj.gov 2)