In recent weeks, two new road extensions have opened near Los Angeles International Airport that are part of the $5.5 billion program to improve traffic flow in and around the airport.
Each road extension is nearly two-thirds of a mile long. Together, these projects cost about $175 million. The first project, called Jetway Boulevard, costs about $42 million and connects Century Boulevard and Westchester Parkway. The second one, called the 98th Street extension, was a $133 million project that takes the existing 98th Street that ends at Bellanca Street and carries it eastward to La Cienega Boulevard near ramps that connect to the 405 Freeway.
“Roadway improvements are a significant part of our efforts to improve mobility and access to LAX and its facilities, and the openings of 98th Street and Jetway Boulevard are the latest examples of those efforts,” said Jake Adams, deputy executive director for the Landside Access Modernization Program with Los Angeles World Airports.
Development plans
The Jetway Boulevard project was completed in two phases. The first phase, which started from Westchester Parkway, opened in 2021 to facilitate access to the new multi-level Economy Parking Structure. The contractors for that phase were Sacramento-based Myers & Sons Construction and Brea-based Griffith Co.
The second phase opened on July 27 and connects southward to Century Boulevard. LAX Integrated Express Solutions, the contractor consortium that is wrapping up work on the $3.3 billion automated people mover project, has been leading that segment. That consortium includes Irving, Texas-based Fluor Corp., London-based Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. and several entities that are now part of Madrid-based ACS Group.
The 98th Street extension opened a week later on Aug. 3. It’s designed to improve access to the massive new $1 billion-plus Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility on the road’s north side. At its eastern end, it connects with La Cienega Boulevard near the 405 freeway ramps, providing a quick access point between the rental-car facility and the freeway. That in turn is expected to offer relief to the overcrowded intersection of La Cienega and Century boulevards.
The main contractor for this project was Skanska Civil USA, a division of Stockholm-based Skanska.
