Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles International Airport announced the completion of the final automated people mover pedestrian bridge structure over World Way Sept. 29, moving one step closer to connecting the Tom Bradley International Terminal with the future West Central Terminal Area station.
The construction on the sixth and final bridge closed some roads at LAX, but work was finished ahead of schedule on three out of four nights, according to officials.
The work included assembling four steel trusses weighing over 270,000 pounds above World Way and bolting them together to create the bridge’s structural frame. The six bridges together include more than 3,600 tons of steel, with the project total at more than 9,000 tons.
The bridges are all in various stages of construction. The next step in the project is to establish the Automated People Mover systems and test train cars, according to Sam Choy, project director for LINXS Constructors.
Justin Erbacci, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, said the result of the project is “coming into view.”
The placement of the final pedestrian bridge structure is yet another remarkable achievement on our journey to reimagine the travel experience at LAX, while continuing to operate the fifth-busiest airport in the world,” Erbacci said.
“We thank our passengers for their patience with this project, which sets the final steel for the bridges that will soon allow our passengers to have an entirely reimagined experience accessing our airport.
Work also continues on the bridge structure connections to the automated people mover stations. These overhead walkways, which now border many Central Terminal Area parking structures and the LAX Theme Building, are currently being fitted with decking and roofing elements. Similar operations on an additional walkway, located over Parking Structure 7, are scheduled to begin later this year.
The structure will connect the East Central Terminal Area station to the existing Terminal 7 pedestrian bridge.
The installation of the pedestrian bridge’s structural steel follows last month’s milestone, the steel topping out of the largest and final APM station, which will connect the train system to Terminals 3, 4, 5 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
The last structural steel will be used to build the Theme Building viewing platform on the west side of the East CTA station later this fall.
