With Thanksgiving on the horizzon it is a busy time at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Guests will want to plan ahead to navigate sidewalk and vehicle lane closures and in-terminal work. A construction moratorium will be in place between November 20 and 27 to accommodate the higher number of passengers during the holiday travel period. Up-to-date construction alerts showing Central Terminal Area (CTA) roadway lane restrictions and sidewalk closures, as well as a pedestrian walking map and helpful airline terminal finder, can be found at www.laxishappening.com. LAX has also joined with Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic reporting app, to provide enhanced information on conditions inside the CTA and on nearby roadways.
Roadway Impacts in and near the CTA:
• The main construction area at Terminal 1 is located near the center of the building, with continued impact to the drop-off lane on the Upper/Departures Level. A pick-up and drop-off area for parking shuttles and the Lot C bus is ONLY available on the eastern end of the terminal. Private vehicles are not allowed to drop off in this space and should continue to the west end of Terminal 1. During busy travel times, such as early morning and midday, passenger drop-off can cause traffic backups on the roads leading into the CTA, affecting access to all other terminals. To avoid traffic congestion at LAX from early morning to 2 p.m., motorists are asked to use the Lower/Arrivals Level to drop off passengers, who can then take elevators, escalators, or stairs up to the Upper/Departures Level.
• Occasional and intermittent lane closures are possible overnight throughout the Central Terminal Area for the painting of pavement markings including crosswalks.
Terminal Construction/Renovation:
• Terminal 1: Phase 3 of Southwest Airlines’ $515-million Terminal 1 Renovation Project is taking place in the central part of the terminal, including the installation of new restrooms and a food court at the former Security Screening Check Point, and an additional baggage carousel on the Lower/Arrivals Level. With the onset of construction of Terminal 1.5, the Skycap area has been relocated to the front of Terminal 1. Passengers use a tunnel to bypass construction between the ticketing lobby and expanded checkpoint in the eastern portion of the building. The food court in the south end of the terminal has closed, with guests directed to establishments further north in Terminal 1. Einstein Bros. will open a temporary location near Gate 12 this month. Westfield is phasing in new concessions through 2018. On the way to the baggage claim area, arriving passengers will be directed to the right when they reach the bottom of the escalators. Renovation work in the area of the escalators will take place overnight, with arriving passengers directed to the escalators in the Security Screening Check Point after 11 p.m. nightly. Gate 16 will reopen later this month, at which time Gate 10 will be permanently closed in preparation for construction of Terminal 1.5. Gates 12A and 14 are temporarily closed for renovations. The pedestrian bridge connecting Parking Structure 1 and the terminal is closed, with signs placed to direct passengers. The restrooms on the ticketing level have been temporarily replaced by all-gender restrooms on the west side of the lobby. Passengers may also use restrooms located on the Lower/Arrivals Level or in the terminal near Gates 9, 10 and 13.
• Terminal 2: Xiamen Airlines flights now arrive at Terminal 2 but continue to depart from the Tom Bradley International Terminal (B/TBIT). Delta Air Lines shuttle buses depart and arrive from near Gate 22, with service to Terminal 3 and Terminal B/TBIT.
• Terminal 3: Delta Air Lines operates shuttle buses from Gate 35, connecting Terminals 2 and B/TBIT. Passengers on Avianca, InterJet, and Copa Airlines check in at counters on the west side of Terminal 3 and walk next door to Terminal B/TBIT for their flights. A food court, including Shake Shack, LA Life, and a new Starbucks location is open. Nekter juice bar has opened across from Gate 30, where Angel City, Peet’s Coffee and Blue Window are located. La Familia, a restaurant and tequila spot, is now open, with additional retail and dining destinations added by year’s end. Construction barricades have been erected around Baggage Carousel 6, which is being replaced. It is anticipated to reopen later this month.
• Tom Bradley International Terminal (B/TBIT): Renumbered Gates 137, 139, and 141 are open on the north end of B/TBIT. Gate 131 is closed for construction of improvements to the baggage handling facility, and Gate 132 is closed for work related to the Midfield Satellite Concourse. Passengers using Terminals 4-8 are able to access shops and restaurants in Terminal B/TBIT without having to clear security a second time by using the Terminal 4 Connector. Work has begun to upgrade 14 of the 16 lanes in the Security Screening Check Point to Automated Screening Lanes, which processes approximately 30 percent more passengers per hour. The first of the new lanes will open later this month.
• Terminal 4: Food & Bounty has opened in the food truck in the south end of the terminal. The Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge have closed for a multimillion-dollar renovation, with guests directed to the newly opened lounge in Terminal 5, accessible by an airside connector. Flagship check-in is available in Terminal 4. America Airlines is also upgrading terminal signage.
• Terminal 5: With Delta’s mid-May move to Terminals 2 and 3, Allegiant, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Spirit, and Sun Country have relocated operations to Terminal 5, which also includes four gates for American Airlines. The bus to the American Eagle terminal leaves from Gate 52.The newly renovated Admirals Club has opened on the mezzanine level. Work will take place overnight to replace carpeting in American Airlines’ gate areas.
• Terminal 6: Ethiopian Airlines arrivals and deparures now take place at Terminal 6, joining Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, Air Canada and Boutique Air.
• Terminals 7/8: United Airlines is continuing its $573-million Terminal 7/8 Renovation Project scheduled for completion this spring. The eastern portion of the Security Screening Check Point has opened, adding more of the Automated Screening Lanes that allow up to five passengers to fill their bins at the same time. A portion of the sidewalk on the Lower/Arrivals Level is closed. Gates 77, 82 and 88 are closed for renovations. Improvements are also underway in the seating area at Gate 72. New men’s restrooms have opened near Gate 70A and between Gates 72 and 74 and the women’s restroom between Gates 75A and 75B has reopened as well. Water-bottle fillers are now available across from Gate 75A as well as adjacent to the women’s restroom at the north end of the concourse. The women’s restroom near Gate 84 is closed for renovation. A new pair of escalators leads passengers from the concourse to baggage claim, and two elevators are also available to access the Lower/Arrivals Level. With work completed on the new Baggage Carousel 2, the terminal has four carousels available. United’s new baggage service area is also open.
Sidewalk/Walkway/Parking Structure Restrictions and Closures:
• As part of Southwest Airlines’ Terminal 1 Renovation Project, portions of the sidewalk on the Upper/Departures Level at the eastern end of the building will be closed through June 2018 with pedestrians routed around barricades. A portion of the drop-off lane will be sectioned off to serve as a walking path while construction barricades are shifted westward.
• Construction on Terminal 1.5 will narrow the sidewalk between Terminals 1 and 2 on the Lower/Arrivals Level.
• The entrance to Lot C from Westchester Parkway will close later this month, with traffic rerouted to the 96th Street entrance.
• Overnight trailer removal may cause delays exiting Parking Structure 6, as well as on Center Way leaving the Central Terminal Area.
