A barge-based construction logistics program supporting the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport has replaced approximately 250,000 truck trips and eliminated more than 7.5 million miles of truck travel on local roads and regional highways, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The milestone was announced Sept. 23 during Climate Week NYC as the agency continues construction across multiple major airport facilities and infrastructure systems.
The Port Authority launched the JFK barging operation in September 2023 after community concerns about construction-related truck traffic, including congestion, noise, safety and environmental impacts.
The system operates from a construction support facility along Bergen Basin on the western side of JFK. Barges can carry loads equivalent to about 200 truckloads and transport materials such as sand, aggregate, steel and other construction supplies to the airport.
The barges also remove non-hazardous construction debris and soil from the airport. Routes extend between JFK and locations ranging from upstate New York to southern New Jersey, allowing bulk materials and construction waste to move by water rather than through surrounding road networks.
The 12-acre Bergen Basin facility also includes a concrete production plant and concrete crushing operation. Construction debris can be processed and recycled for reuse in building activities, including roadway construction.
Producing concrete and processing materials at the airport support facility reduces the need for additional truck movements to deliver those materials and remove waste.
The Port Authority said the reduced trucking mileage is more than five times the amount initially projected when the barging program began. The agency is using the operation as part of its broader effort to reduce construction impacts on neighboring communities and advance sustainability objectives.
The Port Authority awarded the contract to build and operate the construction support facility and barging program to Modern Efficient Transport and Supply LLC, an affiliate of Haugland Group LLC.
The broader JFK redevelopment includes new and expanded terminals, roadway improvements, utility upgrades, airside work and a new ground transportation network. The agency's current capital planning documents identify major investments including the $9.5 billion New Terminal One, $4.2 billion Terminal 6 and a $3.9 billion roadway network.
The Port Authority has also launched a $1 million skilled trades entry program connected to the JFK redevelopment, providing construction-trade training for eligible residents of communities surrounding the airport.
The JFK project demonstrates how construction logistics can be integrated into the planning of a major infrastructure redevelopment. Moving bulk materials and construction waste by water can reduce the volume of heavy truck traffic required on surrounding roadways while providing dedicated facilities for material production and recycling.
For owners managing large projects in densely populated areas, the JFK approach illustrates how alternative transportation and on-site material processing can become part of construction logistics planning.
Source: Port Authority NY NJ.
