Getting to LaGuardia Airport Is Becoming a Little Easier

Soon after construction got underway on LaGuardia Airport’s $8 billion overhaul, reports emerged of the traffic chaos caused by all the work. Things got so bad that airlines were advising passengers to account for hours of extra time to ensure they reached LaGuardia in a timely manner. It was all part of the growing pains of the airport, the state said at that time, and now two years after construction began, commuting to LaGuardia will get just a little bit easier.

On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the opening of a new flyover, located at Grand Central Parkway’s exit 7, that will serve as the main point of access to the eastern portion of the airport, where Delta Airlines operates out of. The new flyover is expected to handle about 20 percent of the airport’s incoming traffic, and will make it a lot easier to access the east side. Previously, drivers had to take an overly circuitous route to access this side of the airport.

“This new flyover will bring immediate relief to travelers driving to LaGuardia Airport, and is a key milestone in our plan to build the nation’s first new airport in more than 20 years and make it a world-class international gateway,” said Governor Cuomo, in a statement.

In all, the state plans to build 26 new bridges and flyovers to replace the existing 15 that provide connections to the airport. They will also eliminate all but three traffic signals at the airport to ease traffic congestion. In terms of the overall revamp, the first gates at the new Terminal B are scheduled to open later this year. Both this terminal and Delta’s new Terminal C are scheduled to fully open sometime in 2021.