Los Angeles World Airports has announced that construction is now complete on the 2.25-mile elevated guideway structure for Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) Automated People Mover (APM).
The APM is the centerpiece of LAX’s multi-billion-dollar modernisation programme. Construction on its guideway began in November 2019. A total of 69,700 cubic yards of concrete has since been poured to complete the structure, requiring more than one million work hours.
“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. 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.”
Work will now continue on the plinths for the train cars to ride on and the guideway’s emergency walkway. Construction will also continue to progress on LAX’s APM train stations. The last of the steel for the Center and West Central Terminal Area (CTA) stations is scheduled to be placed in the coming months, and the train Maintenance and Storage Facility will be electrified in the summer to prepare for the arrival of train cars.
“The completion of the guideway is a remarkable milestone for the project as we are one step closer to realising a new transportation experience at one of the world's busiest airports. We'll soon build off of this accomplishment with train car testing later this year.”
Once operational, the 2.25-mile APM electric train system will transport travellers in and out of the LAX’s CTA, reducing the number of vehicles that currently congest the thoroughfares. The project is therefore a critical investment in Los Angeles’s infrastructure as the city prepares to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“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. 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.”
