US: Construction project snarls La Guardia airport

Since construction began this summer to overhaul New York’s aging La Guardia Airport, many travellers say things have gotten worse. The plan sounded good: Officials promised to overhaul the dingy, congested corridors and roadways of the airport, which had been compared to a Third World country by Vice President Joe Biden. In its place, officials described a soaring, light-filled haven, with a new central entry hall, revamped terminals, expanded parking and longer taxiways to reduce delays. “It will be very beautiful and very helpful,” said a customer care worker for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. That isn’t the current reality. Earlier this week, the worker said his bus to the airport was rerouted, stopping more than a mile away and forcing everyone to walk the rest of the way back in the heat. “It’s hard for everybody,” he said. La Guardia, which sits on 680 acres in Queens, is the smallest of the three airports serving New York City. It served 28m passengers last year, compared with 37m at Newark Liberty International Airport and 57m at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to the Port Authority.<br/>