Port Authority approves $200M Terminal B first phase

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on May 20 approved $75 million in near-term work at Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal B, the opening phase of a broader three-year, $200 million upgrade program, the agency said. The work is intended to keep the airport’s oldest terminal operating while the agency plans a full replacement in the mid-2030s. Terminal B opened in 1973, according to the Port Authority, and the agency described the package as part of its 2026-2035 Capital Plan. AJOT and Daily Voice separately reported the first phase at about $75 million. ### Why is the Port Authority spending on a terminal it plans to replace? The Port Authority said the $200 million program is meant to modernize and maintain Terminal B until a new Terminal B opens in the mid-2030s. The agency had already moved in 2024 to begin planning for a replacement terminal, approving funding for preliminary design and infrastructure planning tied to its wider Newark redevelopment program. (panynj.gov) The 2026-2035 Capital Plan approved in December 2025 included funding for a new Terminal B and a replacement AirTrain Newark, placing the interim Terminal B work inside a larger airport overhaul. The Port Authority has said the redevelopment follows the opening of Newark’s new Terminal A and broader plans to remake the airport. (panynj.gov) ### What does the first $75 million phase actually pay for? The Port Authority said the initial investment will improve gate areas, restrooms, elevators and escalators in Terminal B. NJ.com reported the work will run over three years under the broader program approved by commissioners. (panynj.gov) AJOT reported that the first phase also includes a new entryway designed to give local residents direct access to the Airport Train station and onward transit connections through AirTrain Newark and NJ Transit. Daily Voice said the first phase is approximately $75 million and described the wider program as continuing in later stages. (panynj.gov) ### How old is Terminal B, and why has it drawn so much attention? Terminal B is 53 years old, the Port Authority said in its May 20 release. The agency has described it as an outdated facility in earlier planning documents for Newark Liberty’s redevelopment. Newark Liberty has also been under pressure this week for operational disruptions. (ajot.com) NorthJersey.com, NJ.com and other local outlets reported delays, cancellations and storm-related snarls at Newark around May 21, putting fresh attention on the airport’s aging infrastructure even as the Port Authority advances longer-term capital work. (panynj.gov) ### How does this fit into Newark’s larger rebuild? The Port Authority in 2024 unveiled an EWR Vision Plan that called for a top-to-bottom reimagining of Newark Liberty International Airport. That blueprint set out a replacement for Terminal B as one of the next major pieces of work after the opening of Terminal A. (nj.com) In October 2024, commissioners approved additional funding to begin planning the replacement Terminal B. In December 2025, the board approved the 2026-2035 Capital Plan that funds the new terminal and the new AirTrain Newark. The May 20 vote adds the short-term repairs and upgrades intended to bridge the gap until that larger project is delivered. (panynj.gov) ### What comes next after the board vote? The Port Authority said the $75 million package is the first phase of a three-year, $200 million program. Later phases will continue under the capital plan while planning proceeds for the replacement Terminal B, which the agency has said is expected to open in the mid-2030s. (panynj.gov) The next public milestones are likely to come through Port Authority capital-plan updates and Newark redevelopment announcements, including work tied to the replacement AirTrain Newark and the future Terminal B project. (panynj.gov 1) (panynj.gov 2)