Airport commissioners authorized the use of $1.3 billion to cover the construction of a new wing of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, it was announced Friday.
The Board of Airport Commissioners this week approved the appropriation of the funds, which included a change order to increase the cost of the project by $355 million.
The concourse, which will be in a satellite location on the LAX airfield, will include 12 gates at the north end with enough room for wide- bodied aircrafts such as the Airbus 380 and Boeing’s 777 and 787 models.
There are plans in a future phase of the project to build seven gates at the south end of the satellite concourse.
The first phase of the project also includes the construction of a 1,000-foot-long tunnel to connect the main Tom Bradley terminal and the satellite concourse. The walls of the tunnel will be 42 inches thick, while the roof will be built to hold up under more than 660 tons — the estimated amount of a full A380 plane.
The addition $355 million cost pays for a tunnel, handling area and other facilities that will allow more baggage to be processed at the Tom Bradley terminal.
A significant portion of the concourse is set to be completed and operational by 2019. The project will be funded by cash and bonds, which will be paid back using airline terminal fees, passenger facility charges and other revenue.
— City News Service