Major LAX construction work ready for competitive bidding.

While communities and lawmakers continue to lock horns over the $11 billion Los Angeles International Airport Master Plan, a series of major capital improvement projects is moving forward.

Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that owns and operates LAX, is seeking competitive bidding for contracts totaling $798 million, with plans to formally solicit the bids next month.

The projects include the $325 million interior remodeling of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, $505 million worth of new baggage screening systems with new explosive detection machinery for all eight terminals, and improvements on two runways costing $196 million.

Airport officials are looking to finish the work in three years, once it gets under way, possibly as early as January. "LAX is a very sensitive issue, but this seems non-controversial," said Terry Schell, a Rand Corp. researcher who co-authored an influential study that called for major upgrades in LAX security.

The improvements were called far as part of the LAX Master Plan compromise reached by former L.A. Mayor James Hahn and former Los Angeles City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. The pact also delayed for reconsideration proposals to construct a remote parking and check-in site and demolish and reconstruct Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

The upgrades are part of LAWA's broader $1.4 billion, three-year capital improvement plan--a total of 70 projects at LAX, Van Nuys, Ontario and Palmdale airports. They are being funded by a combination of $684 million from airport revenues, $414 million from a capital project ticket surcharge and $331 million in federal matching funds from the Transportation Security Administration.

Installation of the LAX baggage screening devices is currently underfunded by at least $200 million due to a delay by the agency in distributing the airport's full allotment of matching funds, said Mark Massman, deputy executive director for LAWA.

The shortfall is due to Congress not allocating the funds despite approving a bill that Called for boosting federal matching funds for such projects to 90 percent from 75 percent. The airport is committed to making up the shortfall but the funds are expected to eventually come through.

The interior renovation of the Bradley Terminal, the largest of the projects, includes new ticketing desks and interiors, updated computer systems and rebuilding two gates with double-decked passenger bridges to accommodate the double-decker Airbus A380 jetliners.

Pasadena-based engineering and construction giant Parsons Corp. has been hired to manage construction of the interior renovation, the most complicated component. It's also assisting the airport in interviewing potential contractors for the baggage screening work. That list has been narrowed to four companies, Massman said.