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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.

With nearly 18,000 vehicles traveling to LGA daily, the eastbound Grand Central Parkway Exit 7 flyover is anticipated to handle 20 percent initially of the airport’s total inbound traffic. This entry is one of four current access points to LaGuardia, with the others being Grand Central Parkway Westbound Exit 7, 94th Street northbound for local traffic and Marine Terminal Drive off 82nd Street, also for local vehicles.

The new flyover is designed to provide a more direct route for vehicles traveling to the eastern side of the airport, where Delta’s gates and operations are located. Previously, those vehicles had to navigate a labyrinth route and execute a 360-degree turn, while encountering various traffic lights along the way. Vehicles headed to Terminal B will also benefit by having a new direct connection to the arrivals level, separated from traffic to the other terminals.

Today we are opening a new flyover highway to ease traffic at LaGuardia Airport — bringing immediate relief to travelers driving to the airport.

It’s a key milestone in our plan to completely rebuild LaGuardia and transform it into a world-class airport. pic.twitter.com/zP1RGS7Zqt

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 31, 2018

The overall $8 billion modernization of LaGuardia Airport – which includes the flyover – continues to reach key milestones. In February, the new Terminal B garage opened, with a dedicated level for Uber, Lyft and other car services to increase customer convenience. The first gates at the new Terminal B will open later this year and Delta’s new Terminal C is showing rapid progress after breaking ground only a year ago. The new Terminal B, which will replace the current outmoded 54-year-old Terminal B, is slated for completion in 2021. The new Delta Arrivals and Departures Hall will also open in 2021.

Twenty-six new planned bridges/flyovers will replace 15 existing bridges and significantly eliminate the need for on-airport traffic signals. Prior to the start of the modernization program, there were 19 traffic signals for drivers to navigate at Terminals B, C and D. Following completion of the modernization project, only three of those 19 traffic signals are expected to remain. Most of the on-airport road crossings will have been eliminated by raising traffic up onto bridges, sometimes three levels high.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)