NOVA

- [Narrator] For years, LaGuardia has stood in the shadow of its much larger siblings, JFK, and Newark.

(intense music) - This is my first trip to LaGuardia and probably my last, I don't wanna come back.

(record needle scratching) - But in 2016, an $8 billion plan to completely transform the space broke ground, kicking off one of the most significant airport redevelopment projects in United States history and the first new one in more than 25 years.

Terminals B and C (air whooshes) were given complete makeovers, and a whole bunch of other key upgrades were made, all while making sure flights stayed on schedule.

LaGuardia went from being rated one of the most dreaded airports in the country to one of the best.

(jet engine roars) So how'd they pull it off?

To connect the state-of-the-art, (air whooshes) four story terminal B to its new concourses, engineers constructed two massive pedestrian bridges, extending above the tarmac.

(upbeat music) The team used two different techniques to make each one.

The Eastern Bridge was built out onto temporary towers, (metal softly clanging) one piece of steel at a time to meet in the middle, 65 feet above ground.

But the Western Bridge was assembled differently.

They built it in six massive sections on the ground, from 2,500 tons of steel.

Then lifted these vast trusses into place on top of the makeshift towers.

On the other side of the airport, construction crews got to work on the brand new Terminal C. This section of LaGuardia expects to see around 14 million passengers (logo whooshes) walk through it every year.

(upbeat music) So architects proposed building a 15,000 square foot opening, called an Oculus, (soft ringing) to flood the entrance with light.

The Oculus was built from almost 400 pieces of interlocking steel.

To save time, the main truss was raised and installed in one piece.

The whole structure was hoisted 100 in the air with a crane and bolted into place by a team of iron workers on the roof.

Engineers have also attempted to future-proof LaGuardia to withstand extreme or changing weather.

They built an innovative way to both heat and cool the airport to deal with changing New York climate.

And to protect Terminal C from storm surges and floods, architects designed Concourse G to stand on 20 foot concrete columns, (air whooshes) allowing floodwaters to pass underneath, without causing damage.

The LaGuardia Airport construction, blended cutting edge engineering, modern architecture, and future-focused design to transform it into a one of a kind facility.

(upbeat music)