LAX MODERNIZATION UPDATE: JANUARY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS MAY CAUSE PASSENGER IMPACTS

There will be a construction moratorium from January 1 through 3 and on January 5, on projects that would significantly impact passenger flow as the holiday travel season comes to a close. Passengers are advised to look for and follow the comprehensive way-finding signage near all construction sites.

T he following roadway lane restrictions   are in effect on a nightly or continuous (24 hours, seven days a week) basis in the airport CTA:

·         To encourage safer vehicle speed on the upper level roadway, speed bumps across all lanes in two locations at Terminal 1 are being installed. Construction work for hinge replacement is ongoing and this traffic-calming measure will be strictly enforced throughout construction. The entire hinge replacement project is expected to be complete in February 2016.

·         Height clearance is limited to 10’ 6” through February 2016 on the two curbside Lower/Arrivals Level passenger pick-up lanes of the CTA. Rotating single-lane closures on the Lower/Arrivals Level roadway will also be in effect on a continuous basis throughout the project. Warning signs and flashing lights alert drivers of the lower height restriction.  

·         Portions of Center Way will be closed nightly for the Center Way Widening Project, which will turn the roadway bisecting the CTA into a three-lane airport exit road.

·         Trenching related to the Fifth Feeder Project, which will add capacity to the airport’s electric power structure, will cause portions of Center Way between Parking Structures 1 and 7, extending east to the LAWA Administration Building located at 1 World Way, to close intermittently through early 2015. Exit lanes from Parking Structure 7 may also be impacted.   

Renovations inside terminals are also underway:

·            Terminal 1: Gates 1, 2, 3 and 5 are closed for aircraft apron reconstruction and renovation of the passenger waiting areas as part of Southwest Airlines’ $500-million renovation of Terminal 1. The gates will open intermittently next summer. Construction barricades will be in place on the west side of all levels of Terminal 1 through late 2015 for renovation of office spaces and passenger waiting areas.

·            Terminal 2: As part of LAWA’s nearly $300-million renovation of Terminal 2, a completely new concessions program on both levels is scheduled to open in summer 2015. In the meantime, most concessions in the Terminal 2 concourse are closed. However, temporary coffee and grab-and-go eateries and retail stores have been put in place to serve passengers. All Lower/Arrivals Level concessions and the eastside restrooms are closed, but other restrooms, a temporary coffee shop and other concessions are open. The Gate 24 passenger waiting area has reopened. Full terminal construction is scheduled to be complete in 2016.

·            Terminal 3: Construction on the D-10 alleyway adjacent to the terminal on the airfield requires airlines using Gates 30 through 32 to tow aircraft to/from the gates. The D10 alleyway will also be limited to smaller-sized aircraft due to demolition of the original north concourse at the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

·           Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT): The first phase of the new passenger screening area has opened, directing passengers to the mezzanine level for security screening. When complete, the number of screening lanes in TBIT will increase from 12 to 16. 

·            Terminal 4: Due to the Elevator/Escalator Replacement Project, two curbside escalators and one curbside elevator will be closed outside Terminal 4. Passengers will be directed to nearby escalators and elevators in the interim.

·            Terminal 5: As Delta Airlines continues its renovation of Terminal 5, passengers will encounter construction barricades and work-related noise on both the arrivals and departures levels. One men’s restroom, located near the end of the concourse, will be closed.  Signage will direct the public to other nearby facilities. Two curbside elevators will also be out of service this month as part of the elevator/escalator replacement project. Detours will be in place.Work on the terminal is anticipated through 2015.

·            Terminal 6: Westfield’s redesign of the concessions in Terminal 6 is resulting in the closure of several dining and retail locations. Temporary dining and retail locations will open to serve passengers during construction. Scaffolding partially restricts the concourse and barricades have resulted in the removal of approximately 90 seats in gates 64A and 65A. Gate renovations are currently underway at Gate 63. Disruptions to passenger flow should be expected in the terminal due to barricade placement and terrazzo work. Construction on the new concessions program is expected through 2016.

·            Terminal 7/8: Construction barricades along the connector corridor between Terminals 7 and 8 have reduced the corridor’s width by approximately 10 feet. Structural steel work to reinforce the columns is taking place behind the barricades as part of the Terminal 7 Renovation Project.

Sidewalk/Walkway restrictions and closures   will also be in effect at the following locations: 

·         As part of the Terminal 1 modernization project, portions of the sidewalk on the Upper/Departures and Lower/Arrival levels will be closed through 2016. Pedestrian traffic will be temporarily rerouted into the curbside passenger drop-off lane with protection from construction barriers on the upper level.

·         For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, curb ramp improvements will be conducted on the Lower/Departures level at rotating locations throughout the CTA through March 2015.

·         Truncated domes will be installed near passenger walkways at Parking Structures 1 and 2A through March 2015 adding detectable warnings to enable people with visual disabilities to determine the boundary between the sidewalk and street.

·         The west-facing elevator and stairwell bank in Parking Structure 4 will be closed through mid-2015. Passengers are being re-directed to other elevators and stairwells in the interim.

·         Improvements to the north-facing elevators in Parking Structure 3 will begin on January 6 resulting in one lane restriction and a sidewalk closure. Pedestrian detours have been posted re-routing passengers to alternate elevators within the parking structure. Work is expected to last through October 2015.

·         Work to upgrade the ticketing devices in Parking Structure 5 will cause some entry and exit lanes to close temporarily.

·         The sidewalks along Center Way North will be closed through March 2015 from West Way near Parking Structure P2A and East Way, and along portions of East Way for the Central Utility Plant Project.

Please note that all dates provided in this notice are subject to change.

Airport officials are asking motorists to help reduce traffic congestion in and around LAX by taking public transportation to and from LAX, including the inexpensive and convenient LAX FlyAway® nonstop bus service at Union Station, Van Nuys, Westwood, Santa Monica, and Hollywood. If picking up passengers, motorists are encouraged to park and wait inside their vehicles at the free LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot at the intersection of 96th   Street and Vicksburg Avenue, next to the entrance of LAX Economy Parking Lot C.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States.  LAX offers 692 daily nonstop flights to 85 cities in the U.S. and 928 weekly nonstop flights to 67 cities in 34 countries on 62 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with over 1.9 million tons of air cargo valued at over $91.6 billion.  An economic study in 2011 reported that operations at LAX generated 294,400 jobs in Los Angeles County with labor income of $13.6 billion and economic output of more than $39.7 billion.  This activity added $2.5 billion to local and state revenues.  LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities.  Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.