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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles International Airport announced a major milestone today in construction of its Automated People Mover, with the last concrete poured for the project's 2.25-mile elevated guideway structure.
The train is the centerpiece of the airport's modernization program and will have six total stations -- three inside the Central Terminal Area and three outside the CTA. The People Mover will connect the train system to Metro rail and bus lines and a car rental facility.
Officials expect the train system to be ready in 2023, and the full modernization project is expected to be completed ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games, being held in Los Angeles.
``The Automated People Mover will be so much more than another way to get to LAX -- it's the piece of the puzzle that will end the congestion that has been plaguing our airport for decades,'' Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. ``This project is a historic investment in our city's transportation future, and today's milestone brings us another step closer to our ultimate goal: bringing modern, reliable public transportation to our airport.''
A total of 69,700 cubic yards of concrete have been poured to build the guideway since construction began in 2019. The last major pour for the guideway happened April 1 over Sepulveda Boulevard, the last of three cast-in-place bridges on the project. The first was completed last December over Century Boulevard, and the second was completed March 19 over Parking Structure 2B.
``Los Angeles no longer has to imagine a transformed LAX, rather we can see the future through our own eyes with the completion of the 2.25 miles of Automated People Mover guideway that will one day soon carry train cars filled with travelers and employees," Los Angeles World Airports CEO Justin Erbacci said in a statement. ``Over the last two-and-a-half years, we have seen the guideway rise up from its foundation to become a fully completed track, providing us a glimpse at what will provide time-guaranteed access to the airport, ensuring greater mobility for all of those coming to and from LAX."
Now that crews have completed the guideway structure, they'll build the plinths, on which train cars will ride. They'll also start construction on the guideway's emergency walkway.
The train's stations have already begun construction, and the last steel is expected to be placed for the Center and West Central Terminal Area stations in the coming months, according to the airport.