The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced during Climate Week NYC that it has reached a milestone in the agency’s $19 billion redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport, where an innovative strategy to create a barging operation to support airport construction has replaced 250,000 truck trips and eliminated more than 7.5 million miles of truck travel on local roads and on the region’s highways.

Replacing trucks with barges has lessened the environmental impact of construction at JFK on the surrounding communities while supporting the Port Authority’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The reduced trucking mileage is more than five times what was initially projected when the barging operation launched in September 2023 in response to concerns from the surrounding communities about safety, noise, congestion, and the environmental impact of trucks servicing JFK construction.

Barges capable of carrying the equivalent of 200 truckloads of materials and debris arrive and depart from a dock that was built along Bergen Basin on the western edge of the airport across from the Hamilton Beach neighborhood in Queens. Additionally, the facility, which sits on a 12-acre site on the western edge of the airport includes a concrete production plant and a concrete crushing facility to recycle construction debris that is repurposed for use in building projects, particularly roads. On-site concrete production and recycling have reduced the need to truck in those materials for the project.

“From the outset of our redevelopment of JFK, the Port Authority has been committed to reducing the impact of construction in the surrounding communities,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “As we celebrate Climate Week NYC, we are proud to say that we have lived up to that commitment by replacing thousands of trucks with a barging operation that is safer, cleaner and more sustainable while building a new airport that our region and our closet neighbors can be proud of.”

“Eliminating millions of miles of truck traffic, and the noise and emissions that come with it, is an especially rewarding way to mark Climate Week NYC as we move forward with the construction of a great new JFK International Airport,” said Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia. “This construction milestone — and the elimination of 250,000 truck trips through local streets — is another example of how the Port Authority is using innovative strategies to move major redevelopment projects forward sustainably while minimizing the impacts of construction on our neighbors.”

The Port Authority awarded the contract to build and operate the on-airport construction support facility and its barging program on Bergen Basin to Melville, N.Y.-based Modern Efficient Transport and Supply LLC (METS), an affiliate of Haugland Group LLC. Barges carry bulk materials such as sand, aggregate, steel and other building materials to the airport and remove non-hazardous debris and soil from the construction sites on the airport. Barges travel to sites from upstate New York to southern New Jersey to retrieve materials and to deliver debris.

“This milestone demonstrates what is possible when the public and private sectors come together, listen to the priorities of the community, and find more efficient ways to deliver critical infrastructure,” said Haugland Group CEO Billy Haugland. “By moving construction materials and debris by barge rather than truck, we helped reduce congestion, emissions, and disruption in the neighborhoods surrounding JFK, without increasing costs to the project. We are proud to partner with the Port Authority on an efficient, modern approach that supports this historic redevelopment while delivering meaningful benefits to the surrounding community.”

Environmental benefits of the facility include:

  • Reduced trucking activity in the surrounding communities;
  • Reduced emissions and dispersal of dust and other particulates associated with the transportation of construction materials and construction debris;
  • Efficient use of the airport’s water access for transfer of bulk materials to and from the airport;
  • Advancement of the Port Authority’s sustainability goals by encouraging responsible recycling of construction debris.

“The transformative redevelopment of JFK has been an opportunity to build smarter and sustainably,” said U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, co-chair of the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council. “Moving construction materials by barge rather than thousands of trucks reduces traffic congestion and air pollutants, while keeping a project of this scale moving forward. This is a tangible example of how to turn climate goals into action that improves overall quality of life within our communities.”

“The $19 billion redevelopment of Kennedy Airport isn't just about renovating terminals or rebuilding gates. It's about reimagining how we build in the modern era and how we can leverage our waterways most effectively. With this barging operation, the Port Authority has done just that with indisputable success,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “A quarter-million fewer truck trips on Southeast Queens roads has meant cleaner air in our communities and safer streets for our families. Thank you to the Port Authority for your ongoing commitment to being a good neighbor and a staunch supporter of Queens, its economy and its families.”

“The use of barges to transport airport construction materials during the redevelopment of JFK Airport is an innovative idea that has a positive impact on our environment. By utilizing our waterways to move the construction materials it helps to reduce overall traffic from the construction area, minimizes disruptions to surrounding neighborhoods within my district and lessens the projects overall environmental impact to our communities. As co-chair of the JFK Community Advisory Council’s Environmental Stewardship Committee, I commend the Port Authority's efforts in working with the community every step of the way with the shared goal of protecting our environment,” said New York state Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato.

”Today, as Climate Week begins, Queens Community Board 10 joins in acknowledging the Port Authority’s success in addressing potential negative trucking impacts as it has engaged in the redevelopment of our neighbor – JFK Airport,” said Betty Braton, chair of Queens Community Board 10. “Development projects always impact communities, especially large and complicated ones like the JFK Redevelopment. The innovative barging facility at JFK and the resulting major lessening of truck traffic is an environmental win, not just for us in CB10, but for the region as well. We commend this achievement along with the Port’s continuing efforts to work together with all the airport’s neighbors to ensure positive impacts will outweigh any negatives as the project moves forward to completion.”