A $2.7 billion project is underway at Newark Liberty International Airport to replace one of its oldest and existing terminals and help catapult the airport city into the next century.

The million-square-foot Terminal One, as it will be called, will replace the antiquated Terminal A, which has been around since 1972, said Catherine Cronin, program director of redevelopment at Newark Airport.

She said Terminal One will have a more modern feel, more technology embedded in it and more access to Wi-Fi. Visitors will be able to get through security faster with a centralized security checkpoint. There also will be more of the mobile check-in pods.

"We're going to be able to build it off to the southern portion of the airport, an entirely new roadway network, which will keep you out of the traffic for folks going to Terminal B and Terminal C," she said.

Cronin said local content will be provided so you know you are at a New Jersey terminal. Some of that includes farm-fresh type food. There will be entertainment and shopping.

They're also working to make sure there's plenty of things for people to do while they are waiting to board their plane, just like at other terminals that have been built recently, said Cronin. There's art programs happening, they want to make sure they're incorporating things in the New Jersey Hall of Fame and input from other local artists and performers.

Terminal One will also help relieve congestion at baggage claim, check-in and security areas, said Cronin. There will be 18 check-in lanes that will serve the entire terminal plus all new modern  technology that processes much faster.

Baggage claim will have a larger hall for passengers to circulate and exit.

The project on the roadway component started last year. This past April, the airport gave notice to the contractor to proceed. Part of Terminal One should be completed in 2021 but the entire project should be done in 2022.

Cronin said the airport staged it so they can move the airlines out of Concourse A1 and A2 into the terminal, allowing them to finish the air field that requires the demolition of the concourses. Then they will move the final airlines in 2022 and demolish Concourse A3.

Terminal One will serve 13.6 million fliers through 33 gates and a new parking garage. It's also expected to create more than 23,000 jobs.

While Terminal One is being built, Cronin said they don't want to neglect the existing Terminal A. The construction should not impact customers going through Terminal A.

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