"The region's economy relies heavily on our ability to keepcommerce and people moving quickly and efficiently," says PortAuthority chairman Anthony R. Coscia. "Thoughtful planning todaywill lead to improvements tomorrow, enabling us to be prepared tomeet projected passenger growth in the future."

The airport currently serves approximately 32 million passengersa year and projections that the number will grow to more than 45million by the year 2021 led authority officials to launch theproject. Terminal A is also expected to get an upgrade at somepoint in the future. Both A and B have about half the capacity ofthe newer, more modern Terminal C.

The money will go for additional ticketing areas, an expansionof passenger-screening points and construction of a new domesticbaggage-claim facility. A third level will be added below ground,carved out of what was once a parking level, to provide moreconcourse space at the facility. Port Authority officials say theyexpect to begin the planning and design phase of the five-yearproject early next year.