LAX MODERNIZATION UPDATE: NOVEMBER CONSTRUTION PROJECTS MAY CAUSE PASSENGER IMPACTS
(Los Angeles, California – October 31, 2014) Ongoing construction at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is expected to continue to impact travelers during the month of November as sidewalk closures, roadway lane closures, and in-terminal construction may slow passenger flow. These construction efforts, part of the multi-billion-dollar, capital improvement modernization program underway throughout the airport, will ultimately result in a more modern airport that improves the overall customer experience.
Anticipating an increase in the number of travelers using LAX during the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be a construction moratorium from November 21 through December 1 on projects that would cause significant impacts to passenger flow. If coming to the airport during November, passengers should look for and follow the comprehensive way-finding signage near all construction sites to ensure their safety and to enhance mobility.
Visitors to LAX are advised that Monday through Friday, November 10 through 21, the westbound lanes on Century Boulevard near Aviation Boulevard may be closed for bridge foundation construction from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. as part of the MTA’s Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project. Detours will be posted but all are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for the commute to LAX during the closure periods. Visit metro.net/crenshaw for further details and information.
Passengers and motorists are advised that the 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 complete in February 2016.
· Height clearance will be 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 new height restriction.
· Due to the ongoing renovation of Terminal 5, partial lane restrictions are in place in front of the terminal on the Upper/Departures Level. These restrictions will occur nightly from 1 am to 4 am through November 30.
· Due to the ongoing construction of the Terminal 4 Connector building, portions of the inner lane outside Terminal 4 will be periodically closed for curbside staging during off-peak hours through November 26, 2014.
· Portions of Center Way, East Way and West Way will be closed nightly through 2014 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 reinforce 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.
Sidewalk/Walkway restrictions and closures will be in effect at the following locations:
· Installation of a drain will take place at the crosswalk outside of Parking Structure 1 from November 3 to November 14, 2014. Sidewalk and crosswalk access may be impacted.
· Americans with Disability Act (ADA) improvements will also cause portions of the sidewalk inside Parking Structure 5, east of the elevators, to close intermittently through November 20. The elevators in Parking Structure 5 will also be shut down alternately in order to replace their vestibules—one from November 3-6, and the other from November 6-12.
· ADA Compliance Measures are taking place on a section of median between Terminal 7 and Parking Structure 7. This will not interfere with shuttle bus operations at the median. Work will continue until November 21, 2014.
· The sidewalks along Center Way North will be closed for the remainder of 2014 from West Way near Parking Structure P2A and East Way, and along portions of East Way for the Center Way Widening Project.
Renovations inside terminals are also underway:
· Terminal 1: Gates 1, 2 and 3 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 from summer 2015 through early 2016. 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. Camacho’s Cantina inside Terminal 1 will close November 3, 2014.
· Terminal 2: As part of LAWA’s nearly $300-million renovation of Terminal 2, all Lower/Arrivals Level concessions and the eastside restrooms will be closed. Other restrooms, a temporary coffee shop, and temporary concessions have been installed and are open/available for use. Most concessions in the Terminal 2 concourse are also closed. However, temporary coffee and grab-and-go dining and retail store options will be put in place to serve passengers. Pie Hole concession is now open at Gate 22. A completely new concessions program on both levels is scheduled to open in summer 2015. As part of the terminal’s overall renovation, Gate 23 is closed for passenger boarding bridge replacement and should reopen on November 4, 2014 and Gate 24 will be closed either on November 6 or 7 for boarding bridge replacement. Full terminal construction is scheduled to complete in 2016.
· Terminal 3: US Airways will relocate their operation from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6 on November 6.
· 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 Air Lines continues its renovation of Terminal 5, passengers will encounter construction barricades and work-related noise on both the arrivals and departures levels. The West Ticketing Lobby inside the terminal is on track to reopen for public use by the third week in November. One men’s and one women’s restroom post-passenger security screening near the end of the concourse will be closed. Signage will direct the public to other nearby facilities. 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 multiple concessions. Scaffolding has been erected partially restricting the concourse. Temporary dining and retail locations will open to serve passengers during construction. Concessions build out is expected through 2016. Passenger Boarding Bridge hold room work is underway at Gate 63. Work is also underway in the hold rooms for Gate 60, 61, and 62 with minor passenger impacts. US Airways will relocate their operation from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6 on November 6.
· Terminal 7/8: The Global First Lounge (GFL) inside Terminal 7 will convert to a second United Lounge this month. Column reinforcement as part of the Terminal 7 Renovation Project has also begun inside the space. Several columns in the connector portion of the building between Terminals 7 and 8 will be barricaded with structural steel work taking place behind the walls. The barricades will result in a reduction of the area’s width by approximately 10 feet.
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.
