Foundation work has begun on the site of the future West Central Terminal Area (CTA) station at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
One of six elevated stations in the automated people mover (APM) system, the West CTA station will be built between Parking Structures 3 and 4. The largest of the six APM stations, the West CTA station will connect to Terminal 3, Terminal 4, Terminal 5 and Tom Bradley International Terminal via elevated pedestrian bridges. It will feature an open space with a programmable LED screen and public art from LA-based creators.
From the West CTA station, the last stop on the route, the approximate peak (between 9:00am and 11:00pm) travel times via the APM will be six minutes to the future Intermodal Transportation Facility (ITF)-West, eight minutes to the future ITF-East station and 10 minutes to the future Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility.
LAX Integrated Express Solutions (LINXS), the developer on the project, has begun foundation work and cast-in-drilled-hole (CIDH) pile construction at West CTA following months of enabling work at the site, including the demolition of a connector bridge between Parking Structures 3 and 4 and extensive utility relocations.
These CIDH piles will interface with the columns to support and stabilize the guideway and station. Pile size and length varies based on design requirements, with the largest piles at the site measuring up to 11ft (3.35m) in diameter and 88ft (26.8m) in length. A total of 127 piles will support the West CTA station. Smaller piles will also be constructed to support the pedestrian bridges, and as pile construction advances, column construction will begin.
Scheduled to open for passenger service in 2023, the APM is expected to relieve congestion within the CTA and in turn the surrounding thoroughfares, thereby reducing emissions and vehicle miles traveled.