(Los Angeles, CA) Each month, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) shares updates on current and upcoming construction projects at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This newsletter contains information about the status of projects within the terminals at LAX, as well as construction impacts to the airport roadways and the surrounding communities.

In January, work will begin on the demolition of the pedestrian bridge between Parking Structure 2a and Terminal 2, part of a project to connect the Automated People Mover (APM) to the building. Additionally, work continues on the APM train guideway and stations, along with terminal vertical core and reconstruction projects in the Central Terminal Area (CTA). Temporary pedestrian walkways are in place in the construction zones on the Upper/Departures Level, reducing the drop-off lane availability. Portions of Center Way are closed for APM guideway and station construction, with other roadways/lanes restricted overnight.

 

The information desk on the Lower/Arrivals Level at Tom Bradley International Terminal, equipped with Plexiglas barriers, remains open during construction of a new domestic baggage claim area.

Terminal Construction/Renovation:

• Terminal 1: Work to reopen Gate 12A is expected to begin this month. The pedestrian bridge connecting Parking Structure 1 and the terminal is closed, with signs placed to direct passengers.
• Terminals 2 and 3: Gates 21 and 21A are closed during construction of Terminal 1.5. Baggage claim has temporarily moved to the former Federal Inspection Services (customs) area. Signs direct guests to the area, where three carousels are available. Terminal 3 is closed to prepare for major reconstruction work. The pedestrian bridge between Parking Structure 2a and Terminal 2 will close for demolition work early this month.
  
• Tom Bradley International Terminal: The north escalators and stairs located outside the terminal are temporarily closed due to vertical core construction. The central entrance on the Upper/Departures Level is also temporarily closed. Temporary tunnels to allow access to the north entrances have opened on both levels. On the Lower/Arrivals Level, the entrance on the north side of the terminal, facing Terminal 3, remains open. Barriers are in place for construction of a domestic baggage claim, although the information counter remains open. Gate 134 remains closed for construction related to the Midfield Satellite Concourse and expansion of baggage handling capacity. New signage for the Midfield Satellite Concourse is being installed at several locations inside the building.
  
• Terminals 4 and 5: The renovation program continues. Baggage carousels 1 and 2 in Terminal 4 have been replaced and expanded, with carousels 3 and 4 taken off line during construction of a terminal vertical core. Gate 53A is closed as part of a realignment project.
  
• Terminal 6: Gate 61 is closed for construction of a terminal vertical core.
• Terminal 7: Barricades are in place in the ticketing lobby until March 2021. A staircase has temporarily replaced an escalator between the Upper/Departures Level and the Concourse Level during construction of the terminal vertical core. Nearby elevators remain available.
  

Updates on Other Projects:

• Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP): Concrete pours for the Automated People Mover’s 2.25-mile guideway continue as the first few sections of falsework have been removed to show portions of the concrete structure along 96th Street. Finishing work like painting, smoothing concrete and installation of the exterior façade continue at the Intermodal Transportation Facility-West, which will open this summer. Over 60 percent of the concrete for the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility has been poured for what will become the largest rental car facility in the world once completed.
• Airport Police Facility: Activities for the coming weeks at the headquarters building include wrapping up the installation of the exterior glass curtain walls and the roofing system. HVAC mechanical equipment has been placed on the roof, and electrical connections are in progress. Inside the building, interior walls are receiving drywall and paint in many locations. Building mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems installations continue. Site work in progress includes the construction of the perimeter road on the east and north sides. Upcoming street work will involve the construction of a new main driveway entrance on Loyola Boulevard, rebuilding intersection ADA ramps, and constructing a new sidewalk on the south side of 94th Street at the back entrance. Site grading, concrete retaining walls and underground site utilities in Loyola Boulevard, Westchester Parkway, and 94th Street are in progress. ​In the parking structure, the contractor is preparing for striping the parking stalls and installing directional signage.
  

Drop-off space is limited due to work in front of Tom Bradley International Terminal. Additional passenger pickup/drop off can be found on the Lower Level of Parking Structure 3 at the Terminal B Pickup area.

Roadway and Transit Impacts in the Central Terminal Area:

• World Way: Overnight lane closures are possible on the Lower/Arrivals Level for construction activities.
  
• Terminals 1 and 2: The temporary walkway in front of Terminal 1.5 on the Upper/Departures Level has been demolished, restoring two drop-off lanes.
  
• Terminals 2 and 3: The right drop-off lane in the construction area on the Upper/Departures Level is closed for use as a temporary covered walkway.
  
• Tom Bradley International Terminal: Two drop-off lanes on the Upper/Departures Level on the northern side of the terminal are closed while a temporary, covered walkway is in place during work to add a terminal vertical core to the front of the building.
  
• Terminals 4 and 5: One of the two drop-off lanes on the Upper/Departures Level has been replaced by a temporary, covered walkway during construction of a terminal vertical core.
  
• Terminals 5 and 6: One of the two drop-off lanes on the Upper/Departures Level has been replaced by a temporary, covered walkway during construction of a terminal vertical core. The inner lane will be closed on the Lower/Arrivals Level, and stops for FlyAway bus and LAX shuttles will be moved further east, from late January until the end of March, for installation of a fire water vault in the terminal vertical core construction area.
  
• East Way: Overnight closures are possible on both levels for installation of APM guideway falsework.  Northbound East Way closed, except for access to the Bob Hope USO and the Federal Aviation Administration tower.
  
• Center Way: Center Way between West Way and Theme Way is closed at all times. Daily lane closures and nightly full closures on Center Way from East Way to World Way will be implemented to support the construction of the APM guideway and stations. Vehicles exiting Parking Structure 1 will use Center Way west to East Way to exit the airport during work hours.
• Theme Way: Theme Way is closed between World Way and Center Way for APM construction through July 2022.
• West Way: Northbound West Way is closed between World Way South and World Way North on the Lower/Arrivals Level through April 2021 for work on the APM. Southbound traffic will use the northbound lanes in the area of the construction, with egress from Parking Structure 2b, the entrance to Parking Structure 5 and pedestrian traffic maintained. Overnight lane closures are possible on both levels for the installation of APM columns and guideway falsework.

Central Terminal Area roadways with full-time lane closures as of Jan. 4, 2021.

Sidewalk/Walkway/Parking Structure Restrictions and Closures:

• Real-Time Parking Updates: Guests can access maps with real-time information on parking availability by visiting https://www.flylax.com/en/parking-at-lax. Parking rates and a calculator to estimate costs can also be found on this webpage. Parking availability can also be found on the @FlyLAXstats Twitter feed.
• No Cash Accepted: Cashiers in Parking Structures 1, 2a, 5 and 6 cannot accept cash during the COVID-19 pandemic. All parking payments in these locations are card only. Payment machines for motorists who park in P2b, P3, P4 and P7 accept cash.
• Parking Structure 1: Electric vehicle chargers have been relocated, with 20 stalls available in the east portion of the structure. Approximately 20 spaces on each level are reserved for Low-Emission Fuel Efficient Vehicles. Traffic exiting the structure is directed west on Center Way to East Way and World Way South to exit the airport when work takes place at Center and Sky ways.
• Parking Structures 2a/2b: Limited parking is available on the roof of P2a. A temporary exit is available from P2b onto West Way. In addition, P2b uses an automated payment system.
  
• Tom Bradley International Terminal: The escalators and stairs on the north end of the building are temporarily closed. A temporary pedestrian walkway has been extended further south on the Upper/Departures Level during work on a new terminal vertical core.
  
• Parking Structures 3 and 4: A temporary traffic pattern is possible at P3 to perform utility work. An automated payment system has replaced the cashier booths, with motorists exiting the structures onto World Way. Passenger pick-up is available on the ground level of P3 (Terminal B Pickup), with taxis allowed to use the western-most curb during a pilot.
• Terminals 5 and 6: The sidewalk on the Lower/Arrivals Level will be closed for installation of a fire water vault from late January until the end of March. A detour will be posted. The crosswalk to P6 and the COVID-19 testing lab will remain open.
• Parking Structure 6: The pedestrian bridge between Parking Structure 6 and Terminal 6 has been removed. Guests should access Terminals 5 and 6 from the Lower/Arrivals Level. 
• Parking Structure 7: Utility work may reduce the number of spaces available on the ground floor.
  
• Center Way: The sidewalk path between Terminal 7 and LAX-it is temporarily altered due to work on the APM at the corner of Center and Circle ways. The new pedestrian route is marked with detour signs.

Impacts Near LAX: 

• Airport Boulevard: The right turn lane from southbound Airport Boulevard to 96th Street is closed during work on the APM guideway. Motorists can still turn right onto 96th Street at the traffic signal. In order to mobilize equipment for foundation installation on 96th Street, Airport Boulevard will be closed between 93th Street and 96th Street for a very short duration during overnight hours.
• Arbor Vitae Street: Daytime lane closures are possible Monday-Saturday between Maintenance Drive and La Cienega Boulevard for installation of LADWP’s Permanent Power Duct Bank and utility investigation work for the future ConRAC facility.
• Aviation Boulevard: One lane is closed in each direction between Century Boulevard and Arbor Vitae Street to facilitate APM construction. One through lane will remain open in each direction during the day, but nightly full closures may occur to complete utility work.
• Aviation/Century boulevards: Work to restore the sidewalks at the intersection may occasionally close the right lane.
  
• Avion Drive: Work by SoCal Gas will close lanes south of Century Boulevard overnight.
• Loyola Boulevard/Westchester Parkway: Work to install sewer and storm drains in the area of the Airport Police Facility may occasionally close lanes, but travel lanes in each direction will remain available.
• 96th Street: Construction of the final cast-in-drilled hole piles for the APM guideway necessitates the closure of 96th Street between Airport Boulevard and Bellanca Avenue to through traffic until mid-January. In late January, nighttime closures of 96th Street between Vicksburg and Jenny avenues are possible during limited overnight hours to facilitate removal of the APM guideway falsework that spans the roadway.
• 98th Street: Due to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power construction of a new water main, 98th Street is limited to one westbound lane between Bellanca Avenue and Vicksburg Avenue until mid-2021. Metered parking is still available on the north side of the street.
  
• Pershing Drive: Construction of a recycled water line will reduce lanes between Imperial Highway and World Way West weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Sepulveda Boulevard: Construction activities in preparation for APM foundation and guideway work will require overnight closures of the northbound and southbound loops near the airport entrance this month.
• Streets surrounding LAX: Intermittent, short-term lane closures may take place as needed on streets in the LAX area. Streets include Century Boulevard, 96th and 98th Streets, Airport Boulevard, Westchester Parkway/Arbor Vitae Street, and Aviation Boulevard. At least one through lane of traffic will be maintained at all times and access to businesses will be maintained.
• World Way West: Lanes will be reduced nightly for utility installation. With the Midfield Satellite Concourse's change to an airside project, World Way West is closed east of Coast Guard Road.

Please note that all dates provided in this notice are subject to change. Up-to-date construction alerts showing roadway lane restrictions and sidewalk closures in the terminal loop, as well as a pedestrian walking map and helpful airline terminal finder, can be found at www.flyLAX.com. LAX also partners with Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic reporting app, to provide enhanced information on conditions inside the airport and on nearby roadways. 

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX, the third-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States in 2019, is in the midst of a $14.3-billion capital improvement program that will touch on all nine passenger terminals and build new facilities, including an Automated People Mover (APM) train, Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility and a 12- to 15-gate Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC) addition to the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

 

In 2019, LAX served nearly 88.1 million passengers and offered an average of 700 daily nonstop flights to 113 destinations in the U.S. and 1,200 weekly nonstop flights to 91 markets in 46 countries on 72 commercial airlines.

 

LAX generates 620,600 jobs in Southern California, with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion, according to an economic study based on 2014 operations. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues. The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion; $966 million in state and local taxes; and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

 

LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund. 

 

LAWA is leading the aviation industry in sustainability practices, with initiatives related to water management, energy (electricity) management, air quality, recycling and natural resources management. In 2019, LAX received Level III ACI Airport Carbon Accreditation from Airport Councils International-Europe.

 

LAWA is also a leader in inclusivity, operating eight programs that provide opportunities for business enterprises including local, small, minority-owned, veteran-owned and disadvantaged firms, and working together with community partners to offer the HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program, which targets local workers to make them ready for rewarding careers in the construction trades, and the Build LAX Academy, designed to prepare small contracting businesses for success when working on projects at LAX.

 

LAX was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX in 2018, and was honored as the “Most Innovative Airport for Passenger Experience” in 2019 by the American Association of Airport Executives. LAX is the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. Other recent honors have included selection as the No. 9 Best Airport (Wall Street Journal); No. 7 Best On-Time Performance for a Mega-Hub Airport (OAG); one of “The World’s Best Airports for Business Travelers” (GlobeHunters); Public-Private Partnership of the Year (P3 Bulletin); Urth Caffe, Best Airport Coffee Concession of the Year (Global FAB Awards); Innovation of the Year, Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ARTBA); Best Project, United Airlines Terminal 7 and 8 Redevelopment Program (Engineering News Record California); North American Public-Private Partnership Deal of the Year (IJ Global); and Innovative Transportation Solution of the Year, Automated People Mover (WTS LA).

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. 

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