Cuomo said in a statement that the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey, which operates JFK and several other area
airports, is accepting proposals from private firms for
preliminary engineering and design work on the project.
JFK "is an international gateway to New York and a powerful
economic engine with the potential to grow even stronger," Cuomo
said.
He first proposed the redesign in January as yet another salvo
in his effort to push roughly $100 billion of infrastructure
projects throughout the state.
The JFK proposal is based on recommendations from a study panel
and would transform the New York City airport, in the borough of
Queens, by unifying its disconnected terminals.
It would also redesign internal roadways to eliminate
bottlenecks, expand AirTrain rail access, centralize parking
lots and revamp amenities.
The state agreed to invest $1.5 billion to improve the Van Wyck
Expressway, which leads to the airport, and the nearby Kew
Gardens Interchange to improve access and cut down on
congestion.
Only certain firms will be considered. They must, for example,
have completed a master plan in the last decade worth $5 million
or more for a major hub airport serving at least 15 million air
passengers.
(Reporting by Hilary Russ; Editing by Sandra Maler)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|