On Tuesday, Port Authority officials held a press conference updating the public about construction for the two new international terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport, which officials say is ramping up.

That means anyone traveling around the airport, as well as those flying in and out of it, could be impacted.

“I try to avoid JFK,” Frederick Meyers said.

It’s the construction Meyers particularly did not enjoy while dropping off his son off at the airport Tuesday

“It just makes you sit in traffic and waste gas,” Meyers said.

With the $19 billion expansion of JFK Airport underway, things could get worse before they get better.

Construction of JFK’s new Terminal 1 and Terminal 6 facilities is entering what the Port Authority calls an “intense” period of construction.

“You have to look at the traffic,” Rick Cotton, the executive director of Port Authority, said. “You have to decide how much traffic the roads during construction can handle, during peak periods can handle, and you have to make changes.”

Commuters and travelers could experience changing traffic patterns around the airport, changing access points and longer travel times to reach certain areas.

Port Authority officials announced several immediate and short-term changes travelers should be aware of during Tuesday’s briefing.

The Port Authority’s Airport Operations Center is crucial to keeping construction inconveniences to a minimum. The 24-7 facility, which opened in 2018, houses live camera feeds from across airports, monitors real-time traffic situations and mitigates traffic-related problems.

The JFK expansion is part of a larger $30 billion public-private investment and transformation program across JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports. Upon its completion, JFK’s new Terminal 1 will be 2.4 million square feet, which is nearly as big as Laguardia Airport. JFK’s new Terminal 6 will measure 1.2 million square feet.

Until then, Port Authority officials warn that the best way to ensure a hassle-free travel experience is to take public transportation and call the airline in advance to inquire about construction-related changes.

Port Authority officials say JFK will continue operating at full strength during the entire four or five years that it is expected to complete construction.