LAX MODERNIZATION UPDATE: AUGUST CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES EXPECTED TO CAUSE PASSENGER IMPACTS
(Los Angeles, California – August 3, 2016) The modernization of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) continues with more than $3 million spent each day on 25 major construction projects. Progress is happening! The construction, part of a multi-billion-dollar capital-improvement program underway throughout LAX, will result in a modern airport that significantly improves the overall guest experience. Travelers using LAX in August, and during the remainder of the busy summer travel period, will need to plan ahead to navigate the sidewalk and vehicle lane closures and in-terminal work.
Roadway Impacts Outside LAX:
· Weeknights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., beginning Monday, August 1 through Saturday, August 27, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will alternate weekly closures of one direction of Century Boulevard in order to remove the temporary “falsework” used to construct the Metro bridge over Century Boulevard at the intersection of Aviation Boulevard. When one direction of Century Boulevard is fully closed, two lanes of the opposite direction also will be closed. The project will begin with all westbound lanes of Century Boulevard closed and eastbound Century reduced to two lanes from August 1 to 4. All eastbound lanes of Century Boulevard and two westbound lanes are scheduled for nightly closures on August 5, as well as the week of August 8. No work is scheduled on Saturday and Sunday nights. Signs will be posted to indicate which direction of travel is closed, and a detour will be posted and traffic officers will direct motorists.
Roadway Impacts:
· Terminal 1 is located at the entrance to the airport, and passenger drop-off causes traffic backups on the roads leading into the CTA, affecting access to all other terminals. Drivers may find it easier to drop off passengers between Terminals 1 and 2. The Upper/Departures Level barricade on the west end of Terminal 1 has been removed. To avoid traffic congestion at LAX from early morning to 2 p.m., motorists are encouraged to use the Lower/Arrivals Level to drop off passengers, who can take elevators, escalators or stairs up to the departures level.
· The curb lane between the Tom Bradley International Terminal and Terminal 4 on the Upper/Departures Level is closed nightly while work is performed on the canopy between the terminals.
· Redevelopment of Terminal 7 has closed a 135-foot section of the passenger drop-off area on the Upper/Departures Level, which will remain in place through September.
· Some sidewalks on the Lower/Arrivals Level are restricted while improvements are made in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act or due to work on elevator towers in the parking structures. There will be restrictions on sidewalks along Center Way in mid- to late-August. Passengers and airport employees are asked to cross the roadways only at marked crosswalks. There is also the potential for rotating lane closures on the Lower/Arrivals Level roadway nightly throughout the Central Terminal Area.
· The 24-hour lane closures on the Lower/Arrivals Level next to some parking structures have been removed to improve traffic flow. However, contractors may occasionally close the leftmost lane to perform upgrades to the structures’ elevators.
Terminal Construction/Renovation :
· Terminal 1: Phase 2 of Southwest Airlines’ $508-million Terminal 1 Renovation Project has moved to the eastern part of the terminal, including the former check-in area, with barricades in place. The pedestrian bridge connecting Parking Structure 1 and the terminal is closed, with signs placed to direct passengers. While restrooms on the ticketing level are closed for renovation, temporary unisex restrooms have opened on the western side of the lobby. Passengers may also use restrooms located on the Lower/Arrivals Level or in the terminal beyond passenger security screening. Gate 13 has reopened while Gate 18B will close this month for renovation. A new sit-down California Pizza Kitchen restaurant opened in late July near Gate 13. Westfield continues to phase the openings of new concessions, with a total of 24 to be installed through 2017.
· Terminal 2: LAWA’s $332-million Terminal 2 Modernization Project continues in the ticketing lobby, where barricades have split the airlines’ check-in operations. On the Lower/Arrivals Level, all baggage carousels are now in operation. Work is nearly finished on a service-animal relief area near Gate 22. All Terminal 2 construction is scheduled for completion in 2017.
· Terminal 3: Work is nearly completed on a service-animal relief area. Westfield is developing some new concessions in the terminal.
· Terminal 4 Connector: Passengers can use the Terminal 4 Connector to walk between the south side Terminals 4-8 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). A four-lane passenger security screening checkpoint is now available for international arriving passengers arriving at TBIT, who have re-checked their luggage after clearing customs and are connecting to domestic flights on the south side terminals.
· Terminal 6: American Airlines has moved its American Eagle operation from Terminal 4 to Terminal 6. Passengers now board buses at Gate 60 and travel to the “Eagle’s Nest,” the on-airfield location of Gates 60-A through 60-I. Arriving passengers will pick up their luggage in Terminal 6.
· Terminals 7/8: United Airlines is continuing work on its $573-million Terminal 7/8 Renovation Project that is scheduled for completion in December 2017. Structural steel work is taking place behind barricades in front of the terminals. Access to Terminal 7 is through a temporary walkway near Gate 71A, which has reopened. Gates 70A and 71B are closed until late August. United’s Baggage Service Office and Baggage Carousel 3 are closed while a new carousel is built and the office is upgraded. New restrooms have opened on the Lower/Arrivals Level. The elevated walkway to Parking Structure 7 is closed – access to the parking structure is available from the Lower/Arrivals Level. Keep in mind that Terminals 7 and 8 can be reached via East Way, a short-cut between the north and south terminals that eliminates the need to travel through the entire Central Terminal Area.
Sidewalk/Walkway/Parking Structure Restrictions and Closures :
· As part of the Terminal 1 Renovation Project, portions of the sidewalk on the Upper/Departures Level will be closed through 2017 with pedestrians routed around barricaded areas.
· Work to upgrade elevators in Parking Structure 1 will close a portion of the sidewalk on the Lower/Arrivals Level until later this summer.
· Work on the west side elevators in Parking Structure 3 has temporarily closed a portion of the sidewalk. There is a detour in place to lead passengers safely to the crosswalk to reach the terminal. Signs are also posted to re-route passengers to other elevators in the parking structure.
· A portion of the top floor of Parking Structure 4 is unavailable during work on the fire safety system.
· Work to upgrade the elevator tower in Parking Structure 5 will reduce service to one elevator at a time through January.
· A bump-out sidewalk exists on the Upper/Departures Level at Terminal 7 for work to widen the sidewalk. A 175-foot-long barricade exists along the easternmost sidewalk on the Upper/Departures Level of Terminals 7/8, effectively closing that sidewalk through 2017.
· Landscaping work around Parking Structures 3 and 4 may result in sidewalk restrictions. Signs will be posted when necessary.
Please note that all the 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 FlyAway® bus service to and from Hollywood, Long Beach, Metro Orange Line Bus stop (in San Fernando Valley), Santa Monica, Union Station, Van Nuys and Westwood. If picking up passengers, motorists are encouraged to park and wait 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 seventh busiest airport in the world and third in the United States. LAX served more than 74.9 million passengers in 2015. LAX offers 742 daily nonstop flights to 101 cities in the U.S. and 1,273 weekly nonstop flights to 76 cities in 41 countries on 64 commercial air carriers. LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.1 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion. An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,610 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion. 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 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.
