MARCH MODERNIZATION HIGHLIGHTS: Key Updates on Construction Projects at LAX

03/02/2020 11:30 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2020

CONTACT:
Charles H. Pannunzio
(424) 646-5260
 Steel panels and glass are installed at Terminal 1.5, which will be connected to the future Automated People Mover train via a pedestrian bridge from the Center Station.
MARCH MODERNIZATION HIGHLIGHTS
Key Updates on Construction Projects at LAX
(Los Angeles, CA) Each month, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) shares updates on current and upcoming construction projects at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As the airport is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar modernization program, new projects are starting with regular frequency. 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 March, work continues on several terminal vertical core projects in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) with temporary pedestrian walkways in place in the construction zones on the Upper/Departures Level, reducing the drop-off lane availability. On the Lower/Arrivals Level, LAWA-operated buses use the inside lanes that are similarly impacted by construction. 

An interactive map that includes current construction projects can be found here: https://www.flylax.com/en/lax-traffic-and-ground-transportation/airport-construction-map. Click on the hard hats for more information about specific lane closures and construction projects.

With the opening of LAX-it, the taxi and ride app pickup lot, personal vehicles now must use the outer lanes on the Lower/Arrivals Level. No private vehicles are allowed on the inner lanes as they are reserved for LAWA-operated buses and shuttles. Guests who are using taxis or ride apps to leave LAX should follow walking signs or take the LAX-it shuttle to the new location. Taxi and ride app drop-off continues at the terminal curbs on the Upper/Departures Level, where hotel and private parking lot shuttles now also pick up and drop off guests. Most other modes of ground transportation and private vehicles are picking up guests at the outer commercial islands on the Lower/Arrivals Level.

For regular updates on traffic and parking availability at LAX, visit the @FlyLAXstats 
Twitter feed. We encourage our guests to check current conditions before heading to the airport.

West Way is closed to northbound traffic until early June due to Automated People Mover (APM) work.

Roadway and Transit Impacts in the Central Terminal Area:

  • Terminals 1 and 2: The right-most drop-off lane on the Upper/Departures Level is closed to vehicles until later this summer while it is used for a covered pedestrian walkway in the Terminal 1.5 construction area between Terminals 1 and 2. The Upper/Departures Level is reduced to one lane between midnight and 4 a.m. daily for installation of steel and glass panels at Terminal 1.5.
  • Tom Bradley International Terminal: The right-most pickup lane on the Lower/Arrivals Level is closed between Columns B2 and B5 on the northern side of the terminal for use as a pedestrian walkway during work to add a terminal vertical core to the front of the building. The outer commercial island on the Lower/Arrivals Level has been widened by 6 feet to allow space for more guests. Arriving guests are also encouraged to use the Terminal B Pickup area on the ground floor of Parking Structure 3. For more information on Terminal B Pickup, click here.
  • 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. 
  • Center Way: Center Way is closed between the Tom Bradley International Terminal and West Way to allow for construction of the Automated People Mover (APM) train's West CTA Station. Center Way is reduced to two lanes from Theme Way to Circle Way, with full closures in effect Monday through Friday from 1-7 a.m. for foundation work for the East CTA Station. During the full closures, motorists leaving Parking Structure P1 will be directed to East Way to exit the airport.
  • West Way: Northbound West Way is closed between World Way South and World Way North on the Lower/Arrivals Level through early June for work on the APM. Southbound traffic will use the northbound lanes in the area of the construction, with egress from P2b, the entrance to P5 and pedestrian traffic maintained. Lane closures are possible overnight for utility investigations. West Way is closed overnight on the Upper/Departures Level for construction of the APM guideway and West CTA Station through mid-March.
Eastbound 98th Street is closed, while westbound traffic is limited to one lane while the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power installs a new water main.

Impacts Near LAX: 

  • Aviation Boulevard: One lane will be closed in each direction between Century Boulevard and Arbor Vitae Street for Cast-In-Drilled-Hole (foundation) work for the Intermodal Transportation Facility-East. One through lane will remain open in each direction during the day, but full nighttime closures are in effect. 
  • Century Boulevard: Nighttime AT&T utility work will require the closure of two lanes, either eastbound or westbound, but not at the same time, between Concourse Way and Aviation Boulevard until early March.
  • 96th Street:  A new traffic pattern is in place on the bridge to the airport, with inbound vehicles heading to the CTA using the right-most lane while taxis and ride-app vehicles going to LAX-it using the left lane. Relocation of utilities in advance of construction of the APM will restrict 96th Street between Airport Boulevard and Bellanca Avenue to a single lane for business access Monday-Friday and from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. on Saturdays through July.
  • 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 later this year. Metered parking is still available on the north side of the street.
  • "Little Century": The portion of Century Boulevard west of Sepulveda Boulevard (sometimes called "Little Century") has been restricted to Lyft vehicles heading to LAX-it.
  • 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: With the Midfield Satellite Concourse's change to an airside project, World Way West is closed east of Coast Guard Road.
Hawaiian AIrlines has relocated its ticket counters to the east end of Terminal 5, closest to Terminal 6. 

Terminal Construction/Renovation:

  • Terminal 1: Gate 10 is permanently closed for construction of Terminal 1.5. Gate 12A is closed until completion of Terminal 1.5. The pedestrian bridge connecting Parking Structure 1 and the terminal is closed, with signs placed to direct passengers.
  • Terminals 2 and 3: Because of construction, guests should make sure they go to the correct terminal, as the indoor connectors on the Upper/Departures and Lower/Arrivals levels are closed for demolition work that begins later this month. According to Delta Air Lines, its passengers flying to all international destinations as well as Atlanta, Detroit, Hawaii, New York (JFK), Minneapolis/St. Paul and Washington National should check their bags in Terminal 2. All other domestic passengers should drop their bags at Terminal 3. Sky Priority passengers can drop their bags in either terminal. Guests in T3 are routed downstairs to a Security Screening Check Point on the Lower/Arrivals Level. 
  • Tom Bradley International Terminal: An AMEX Centurion Lounge will open this month. Due to vertical core construction, the north escalators and stairs located outside the terminal are temporarily closed. A new common-use bag-drop system is being tested in Aisles B and C. Gate 131 is closed for construction of improvements to the baggage handling facility. Gate 132, which has been closed for work related to the Midfield Satellite Concourse, is expected to reopen later this month, after which Gate 134 will close until late 2020. Work continues on an addition to the terminal near Gate 148 that will house elevators and escalators that access the tunnel to the new concourse. 
  • Terminals 4 and 5: A $1.6 billion renovation program continues. Hawaiian Airlines has moved its ticket counters to the east end of Terminal 5. 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. 
  • Terminal 6: Gate 61 is closed for construction of a terminal vertical core.
  • Terminal 7: Restrooms in the baggage claim area are closed overnight for construction of a terminal vertical core. Guests may use restrooms in the concourse area before exiting to baggage claim or go upstairs to the ticketing lobby restrooms if they have already exited security.
The ground floor of Parking Structure 4 will reopen in early March after installation of fire sprinklers.

Sidewalk/Walkway/Parking Structure Restrictions and Closures:

  • Real-Time Parking Updates: Guests can access maps with real-time information on parking availability in the Central Terminal Area and Economy Lot E 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.
  • Terminals 1 and 2: Construction on Terminal 1.5 will narrow the sidewalk between Terminals 1 and 2 on the Lower/Arrivals Level. A covered walkway is located on the Upper/Departures Level, and will be in place until later this summer.
  • Parking Structure 2a/2b: The bridge connecting Parking Structures 2a and 2b has been demolished to make way for construction of the APM. A temporary exit has opened from P2b onto West Way. In addition, P2b now uses an automated payment system.
  • Parking Structures 3 and 4: The bridge between P3 and P4 has been demolished. A temporary traffic pattern is in place due to enabling work for construction of the APM. An automated payment system has replaced the cashier booths, with motorists exiting the structures onto World Way. Because of construction in the area, the number of exit lanes is limited. The ground level of P3 has been converted into a passenger pickup area. The ground level of P4 will reopen by early March following installation and painting of fire sprinklers.
  • Terminals 5 and 6: A temporary, covered walkway is in place between Terminals 5 and 6 on the Upper/Departures Level to accommodate guests while a terminal vertical core, which will connect to the future APM, is constructed.
  • 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: Over-height vehicles are no longer allowed on the roof of P7. Vehicles exit the structure from the ground floor. An automated payment system has replaced cashier booths. Vehicles now use a temporary exit onto World Way South.
  • Center Way: The sidewalk path between Terminal 7 and LAX-it will be temporarily altered due to work on the APM at the corner of Center and Circle ways. The new pedestrian route will be marked with detour signs.
  • Lot E: Economy Lot E is open at 5455 W. 111th St., offering approximately 2,700 long-term spaces for $12 a day. 
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. 
Concrete and steel work continue at the site of the future Airport Police Facility in Westchester.

Updates on Other Projects:

  • Airport Police Facility: Construction crews will be conducting construction activities that will include forming, installing reinforcing steel (rebar), and pouring concrete slabs on grade, columns and walls for the headquarters building and parking structure. The work will also include the installation of utility piping inside the building for plumbing, electrical, and communications infrastructure. 

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX, the fourth-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the United States, was named a top-10 U.S. airport by SKYTRAX. LAX served nearly 88.1 million passengers in 2019 and offers an average of nearly 700 daily nonstop flights to 113 destinations in 42 states in the U.S., and 1,200 weekly nonstop flights to 91 markets in 46 countries on 72 commercial airlines. LAX handled 691,257 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2019.  


LAX generated 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 was honored as having the “Best Overall Customer Service Program” by Airports Council International-North America; named the “Best Airport for Breastfeeding Moms” by Mamava; selected for the Top 10 “Best of the U.S.’s Big Airports” (Wall Street Journal) and “Most Pet-Friendly Airports in the U.S. (Mental Floss); named the second-most improved airport in the U.S. by JD Power; received an “Innovation Award” from the L.A. Better Business Challenge for its Central Utility Plant; and named  a “Business Leader in Air Quality” by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

LAX is also the second-most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram, according to wego.com. 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, 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. 

 
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