New Ramp Will Ease Traffic Into LaGuardia Airport: Gov. Cuomo

EAST ELMHURST, QUEENS -- Travelers flying out of LaGuardia Airport may soon develop slightly less of a headache from the commute, thanks to the opening of a new "flyover" ramp expected to ease traffic flow into the airport.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo officially opened the new overpass at Grand Central Parkway's Exit 7 on Tuesday after nearly two years of construction. The new ramp, which offers eastbound drivers a direct route to Delta terminals C and D, is slated to pick up about 20 percent of the nearly 18,000 cars that travel into LaGuardia daily.

"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," Cuomo said.

Before the ramp was installed, drivers had to navigate a maze of traffic lights and a 360-degree turn to get to LaGuardia's C and D terminals. The new roadway is part of an $8 billion upgrade that Cuomo announced in 2015 to fix LaGuardia and put all of its terminals under one roof.

The airport's upgraded Terminal B - housing Air Canada, American Airlines, Southwest and United - will open in phases starting later this year. That and Delta's brand new arrival and departures hall are slated to be completely finished by 2021.

The newest ramp is one of 26 planned bridges and flyovers slated to be constructed around the airport under a $625 million budget within the overhaul. A $1.5 billion AirTrain is also being developed to run from the Mets-Willets Point Long Island Rail Road station and the MTA's 7 subway line to the airport.

Cuomo also announced Tuesday that the Council for Airport Opportunity, a nonprofit that helps spread money and jobs from the airport's redevelopment among locals, will get $1.4 million for a new office in East Elmhurst near LaGuardia.

From the new office, the nonprofit will help link locals with new job opportunities at the airport while also offering job training, career counseling and interview preparation programs.

"The Council for Airport Opportunity is excited for the opportunity to expand services directly to the community surrounding LaGuardia airport," said Andrew Campbell, executive director of the nonprofit.

Lead photo courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo/Flickr