Major LAX Traffic Upgrade Gets $289M In Federal Funding

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles International Airport will receive $289 million in federal funding to build a new terminal access road, transportation officials announced Tuesday.

The LAX award is part of $870 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants for airport infrastructure and safety projects nationwide.

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The federal announcement did not identify the LAX project by name, but the funding appears to support LAX's larger Airfield and Terminal Modernization Program roadway project.

The multibillion-dollar effort calls for replacing and reconfiguring 4.4 miles of roads around Sepulveda and Century boulevards, including elevated routes dedicated to vehicles entering and leaving the airport's Central Terminal Area.

Airport officials say the system will separate LAX traffic from local traffic and remove more than 500 vehicles from Sepulveda Boulevard at any given time. Incoming roads are expected to be completed before the 2028 Olympics, with the full project scheduled for completion in 2030.

• Related: LAX's Planned $1.5B Road System Would Make Traffic Worse, Critics Say

The FAA is distributing 339 grants to airports in 44 states and two territories through its Airport Infrastructure Grants program, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation

"From our regional hubs to some of America's busiest airports, we are investing in critical infrastructure that will provide American families with a more seamless, efficient travel experience for years to come," U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement.

Airport Infrastructure Grants can be used for terminal improvements, baggage system upgrades, airport transit connections, roadway projects and runway and taxiway rehabilitation. The money can also support airport planning, sustainability and other safety-related improvements.

"We're making airports safer and more convenient for travelers across the U.S.," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. "We're releasing grants at record speed to ensure we keep up with the growing demand for travel."

The grant program was created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which allocated $14.5 billion for airport projects over five years beginning in fiscal year 2022.