JFK Airport renovation project underway; travelers advised to plan ahead

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The Port Authority is amid the largest renovation in its history, an investment of $30 billion across all three of its airports. That overhaul is now taking shape at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Construction crews are already working on the plan that includes demolishing, renovating and rebuilding terminal Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 8. Officials said the overhaul is necessary to bring the terminals up to date, which were built before 9/11.

"We are committed to transforming outdated, undersized facilities that are way past their design life,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The construction will be a massive undertaking, but officials said the payoff will be a world class airport and 4,000 jobs. Those are the positives. But travelers will be greatly impacted during the construction.

"We are asking people to take note of the construction challenges, to recognize that there are going to be temporary changes, and we are going to be doing the best we can to minimize those disruptions,” Cotton said.

That means that while construction is underway, pickup spots are changing for the major terminals, including for taxis and ride share drivers. While AirTrain will remain running, buses will be provided to supplement its connections. And secondary routes will connect passengers. Those re-routes are expected to last for several months.

For those traveling to JFK Airport, major roadway changes are planned in the early summer with new traffic patterns. All of that will be closely monitored at the Airport Operations Center.

"The idea is to really see what’s happening and to predict what may be coming through communication with the various terminal operators,” said Jessica Forse, project executive for JFK Airport.

Officials highly recommend that travelers use mass transit to get there and are asking for patience. Officials said they learned a lot on how to mitigate traffic jams during the construction at LaGuardia Airport.

JFKAirport.com is the website where the public can find all the latest information on the ongoing construction and any changes to the routes.

Travelers are also advised to ask their airlines any questions and, of course, arrive extra early to the airport.