In news that should surprise no one, construction is underway for yet another project to revamp Los Angeles International Airport.

Skanska and FlatironDragados were recently awarded a $323-million contract for the Airfield and Terminal Modernization project, which will construct more than four miles of new roadway and dramatically shift how vehicle traffic enters and exits the central terminal area. Plans call for a new series of flyovers and ramps which would create a new access point at the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and 96th Street. 

Pedestrian bridge over Sepulveda, nightLAWA \ Paul Murdoch Architects

In addition to new roadway, plans call for the construction of pedestrian overcrossings at Sepulveda's intersections with Century Boulevard and 96th Street, replacing existing at-grade crosswalks. The 96th Street overcrossing would be accompanied by the construction of a new multi-use path, connecting Sepulveda Boulevard to the new ITF West complex a few blocks near Airport Boulevard.

"New roadway connections extend east from the Central Terminal Area (CTA) to Jetway Blvd., north to 96th Street and west to Sepulveda [Boulevard], where connections are made to north and southbound traffic," explains the presentation given earlier this year to the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission." Points of access and egress to the CTA will be reconfigured for a consolidated footprint over Sepulveda [Boulevard], while closures are planned for connections from Vicksburg Avenue, Sky Way, and Little Century. Similarly, off-campus roadway improvements will improve access to [the airport people mover's] Intermodal Facility (ITF) - West, where connections to ride-share, bus transit and [people mover] stations can be made."

Changes are also in the works for two key landmarks at the airport, including the relocation of the existing LAX monument sign in the median between World Way and Century Boulevard, as well as the replacement of the airport's 100-foot-tall light pylons which are part of a public art installation by artist Paul Tzanetopoulos.

Aerial view of ATMP roadway projectLAWA

Construction is on track for completion in 2030, with a pause scheduled for July 2028 due to the Olympics.

Retooling the airport's roadways is part of a larger plan to expand passenger capacity at the airport by adding a new Concourse 0 to Terminal 1, and a new Terminal 9 on the east side of Sepulveda Boulevard. Shifting vehicular access to the central terminal area toward the east side of Sepulveda is required to accommodate the extension of Terminal 1, specifically. However, as passenger volumes have failed to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, those plans have been put on hold.

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