George Washington Bridge bus terminal shuts down for a year for renovations

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS (WABC) -- The George Washington Bridge Bus Station in upper Manhattan is shut down for an expensive extreme year-long makeover.

Not everyone is happy about it.

A temporary trailer is serving as a waiting room, ticketing area, police base and operations.

Upstairs, buses are arriving and departing from the top level of the building.

Despite the posted signs, many commuters say they were caught off guard.

It's the biggest renovation project for the George Washington Bridge Bus Station in five decades.

"Too many steps, my feet no good. I walk step by step. One, one, one," a commuter said.

But riders like Really Caldwell say it comes at a price.

"I didn't know it was closed when I came over this morning. Otherwise I wouldn't have come. I came from Jersey," Caldwell said.

Riders describe chaos for the Monday morning commute, then an exhausting haul up a flight of stairs for the evening commute.

It's all because the terminal is closed for one year during construction.

"It might be difficult for the handicapped. I haven't seen a wheelchair area yet or an elevator," said Adrian Vivar, a rider.

Councilmember Ydannis Rodriguez says his office is getting a lot of complaints.

"I'm working with the Port Authority because there's not a wheelchair accessible right now. We need to put together an alternative," Rodriguez said.

With the complaints come praise for the $183 million project that's expected draw 600 permanent jobs in a new state of the art facility in Washington Heights.

"It's a long time coming; we have needed this for so long. It's just much needed. I'm looking forward to it. Not the next 12 months," said Jean Turano, a rider.

The trailer has been installed on Fort Washington Avenue and 179th Street to serve as an interim location for bus station services until the new building is completed.

It will provide passengers with a climate-controlled passenger waiting area, public restrooms, ticketing and information services.

To access the subway station, commuters are advised to use the stairs on 177th Street and Fort Washington Avenue.

Jitney, long haul, and local buses will operate along the perimeter of the top level of the bus station. Departing passengers will access their bus platform via a temporary staircase on Fort Washington Avenue and 179th Street. Arriving passengers will exit their bus platform via an existing staircase to 178th Street. Customers can enter the Subway at 177th. Pickup for disabled passengers will remain on Fort Washington Avenue.

The Port Authority says the new bus station will feature an array of first-class national and local retailers, new bus loading/unloading areas, passenger amenities and new ADA-compliant escalators and elevators from the subway and street to the bus station level.

The facility also will have new technology, improved signage and lighting, as well as new electronic communications that will provide passengers with improved arrival and departure information at key decision points throughout the building.