Major renovation underway at LAX.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa was joined by airport and airline officials Feb. 26 to break ground on the renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The $723.5-million project calls for major interior renovations, installation of an in-line checked baggage security system and a second boarding gate for new large aircraft.

The project is also the first at LAX to incorporate Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) green building standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). More than 75 percent of the construction and demolition debris will be recycled or salvaged, and the design features various local and sustainable building materials and finishes.

The decision to follow LEED certification standards is keeping with a sustainable building policy adopted by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners in January that commits Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) to incorporate LEED standards in all future construction projects at LAX and LAWA's other three Southern California airports (LA/Ontario International, LA/Palmdale Regional and Van Nuys).

Because the construction work will be performed while the terminal is fully operational, the project is also considered one of the most complex among U.S. airports. This is the first major upgrade to LAX since 1984, when the 1 million-square-foot Tom Bradley International Terminal was originally built.

The project, which is scheduled for completion in March 2010, will add approximately 45,000 square feet of space in the terminal to house a $140 million, in-line baggage security screening facility.

The renovation will also include upgrades to the Lower/Arrivals Level lobby and concourses for inbound international passengers, restrooms, accessibility measures for passengers with disabilities, new elevators and escalators and better temperature control and ventilation.

Construction is being performed by Clark/McCarthy Joint Venture, which is comprised of Clark Construction Group, based in Bethesda, Md., and McCarthy Building Cos. of St. Louis.

More information is available at www.lawa.org.