Once completed, the NTO at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport will make its way among the most innovative and iconic terminals in the world. Its design, the application of innovative technology and the search for sustainability will make this gateway to the United States shape another way of traveling. However, it is not necessary to fly to the Big Apple to understand the value that infrastructure brings to our society. About 4,000 kilometers away, in Colombia, the construction of a highway can radically change the daily life of a community. And on the other side of the Atlantic, in Spain, the extension of a metro line multiplies mobility options for thousands of users every day. The origin or destination does not matter.
Roads, airports, bridges or railway lines have the power to solve mobility problems, no matter how complex they may be, and to promote the economic and social development of the communities that use them. They generate prosperity and bring people together in a world that is constantly moving. In recent years, the network that allows us to move around the planet has been growing to the point that we can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers in just a few hours. Behind this network is the footprint of companies such as Ferrovial, one of the main infrastructure operators in the world, with a presence in more than 15 countries. We invite you to join us on a trip around the world that has different Ferrovial projects as stops. A trip that begins in Toronto, passes through Barcelona and ends in New York, but can have stops in cities in many other countries.
Our trip begins in Toronto, Canada. Specifically, aboard a car that circulates on the 407 ETR, the first highway in the world that had a free-access electronic toll system. Thanks to this system, drivers emit about 100,000 fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. Highways are an engine of economic growth, a way to facilitate mobility and generate wealth and employment. In Toronto, for example, the 407 runs parallel to the 401, one of the most congested highways in all of North America. Its presence contributes to the economic growth of the city and also reduces travel times for citizens.
A little further south, the company has also left its mark on numerous infrastructures that are part of the highway layout of the United States. For example, on the NTE and LBJ, in Texas, on I-77, in North Carolina, or on I-66, in Virginia. Among them, Managed Lanes stand out, highways in which rates are dynamic and adjust to the degree of traffic congestion. And where does the future lie? It does so through interconnected corridors thanks to technologies such as 5G or artificial intelligence, which will make roads safer and traffic more fluid.
Our second stop takes us to Barcelona, ??a city that has Ferrovial’s footprint. The company, present in Barcelona since the 1980s, has carried out such relevant projects as the tunnel and the developments in Plaza de Les Glòries, Terminal 2 and the airport railway area, or the development of the Olympic Village, among others. others. To continue our trip, we look for a subway sign and enter the tunnels that run through the city beneath its surface. Currently, Ferrovial is working on the extension of Line 8 (Llobregat-Anoia) of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) in consortium with Sacyr, Copisa and Copcisa.
The works include the opening of three new stations, Hospital Clínic, Francesc Macià and Gràcia, and the remodeling of two existing stations, Gràcia and Plaça Espanya. In total, the tunnel will be expanded by four kilometers. It is estimated that this improvement could benefit around 20 million users each year and will reduce travelers’ travel time by 4.5 minutes on average. The subway is the most efficient and fastest public transport in large cities. It allows you to reach speeds unthinkable on surface streets, and thus connect distant points in a matter of minutes. Ferrovial has participated in the design, tunneling and construction of metro systems and stations in large cities around the world. Those of Toronto, Paris, Sydney, Madrid, London, Lisbon, Santiago de Chile or Porto are some of the examples.
In Barcelona, ??we leave the underground world to take a plane and travel to our last destination: New York. There, work is progressing on what is undoubtedly one of Ferrovial’s most relevant projects today, the New Terminal One (NTO) at John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport. Ferrovial is part of the consortium that will build, operate and maintain this terminal. This is an ambitious project, which hopes to place JFK among the most disruptive airports on the planet.
After the works, the NTO will triple in size and will have the capacity to receive 23 million passengers. Our landing in New York places us at the main gateway for international traffic to the United States. From here we can continue our trip to any other place we want. We can fly to another airport that carries the Ferrovial brand, such as Dalaman, in Turkey. Or we can travel to other countries, such as Oman, France, Poland or Australia to find out the impact and value for citizens of other infrastructures such as tunnels, bridges, stadiums or hospitals.
