LAX construction project: Traffic affected beginning Tuesday

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KABC) -- A massive construction project at Los Angeles International Airport means some key lanes to terminals will be closed to traffic beginning Tuesday. LAX is the third-busiest airport in the country.

It won't be a repeat of "Carmaggedon," but there will be some serious traffic congestion at Los Angeles International Airport over the next two years. Intermittent lane closures will begin Tuesday, impacting almost every motorist who drives to the airport.

First, the three inner lanes on the lower-arrivals level will be temporarily shut down, from Terminal 3 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

"The lanes that will be closed will be the ones where people normally go to drop off and pick up loved ones," said Albert Rodriguez, an LAX spokesperson.

There also will be closures on the upper-departures level. The curbside lane between the west side of Terminal 3 and the north side of the Tom Bradley Terminal will be closed through July.

Pedestrians will still be able to access the sidewalk around the construction, but the escalators and stairs on the north side of the terminal will be closed through September.

"These are closures that are related to the construction of the central utility plant and they have to do some excavation to connect the terminals with all these new water and electrical lines," said Rodriguez.

For the next few weeks, intermittent lane restrictions will also occur overnight from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. on the lower-arrivals level at terminals 4, 5 and 7.

The construction is all part of the airport's $4.1-billion modernization program, which will also include 18 new gates at the international terminal, half of which will handle the new gigantic Airbus 380 airliners.

But don't expect to see a big difference in the appearance of LAX when the project is finished.

"They will definitely feel it inside the terminals in terms of better cooling and heating throughout the year and better efficiency in the lighting and in the water systems," said Rodriguez.

LAX officials encourage motorists to check online for updates. They are also encouraged while picking up passengers at the airport to wait in the cellphone waiting lot not far from LAX, or to park in the parking structure and walk inside the terminal and wait for passengers there.

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los angeles international airport, train accident, los angeles news, leslie miller

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