When a newly constructed Port Authority Bus Terminal began serving passengers in 1950, the New York Times deemed it “revolutionary” and “impressive.”

But in recent years, the aging transit hub has more frequently been regarded as “deteriorating” and “obsolete.”

On Thursday, workers officially broke ground on its long-awaited replacement.

“You know, 75 years ago, the Port Authority bus station opened its doors. Looks like it, doesn’t it?” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a ceremony marking the occasion.

“And for many, this bus station is their first impression of New York City,” she added. “We can do better. We must do better.”

The new bus terminal, set to be called the Midtown Bus Terminal, will feature a 2.1 million-square-foot main terminal with a multi-story atrium, Hochul said, along with new ramps to and from Lincoln Tunnel and on-street retail.

(Courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul's office)

Work Thursday began on two decks above below-grade parts of Dyer Avenue and the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway that will serve as interim bus staging sites during construction, the governor’s office said in a release. The deck-overs will eventually become 3.5 acres of public green space.

Next on the agenda is a new storage and staging facility the Port Authority will use as a temporary terminal during the old station’s demolition, the release said.

The New York City Council unanimously approved plans for the new terminal in November, with the Federal Transit Administration signing off on them the following month.

(Courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul's office)

The project will not only bring a “world class” bus station to Midtown Manhattan, but will also divert buses from residential streets, Hochul said.

“This community deserves better," she said. "They don’t need their kids growing up with idling buses, with all of the fumes, making them sick."

All told, the revamp is expected to cost around $10 billion.

(Courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul's office)

The new terminal, Hochul said, will become a “new civic landmark.”

“My point is this: Whether you’re flying in, taking a bus in, taking a train in, I want everyone to have a ‘wow’ factor when they come to this city, and to walk away or drive away or go away and say to others, ‘New York has finally met the moment,’” she said.

“You've deserved this for a long time, and today, the future has arrived.”