California Construction News staff writer
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has awarded a $604 million contract to the Skanska-FlatironDragados joint venture for structures and utilities work on the Airfield and Terminal Modernization Program (ATMP) Roadway Improvements Project at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The project, part of LAWA’s estimated $1.5 billion ATMP capital program, represents a key component of LAX’s broader $30 billion modernization effort to transform the airport ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics. The improvements aim to ease congestion, enhance safety, and create more efficient access to one of the world’s busiest transportation hubs.
“Skanska is proud to announce that we are building the ATMP project at Los Angeles International Airport,” said James Bailey, executive vice president of Skanska USA Civil’s West Coast operations. “In a joint venture with FlatironDragados, we are collaborating with LAWA and the surrounding community to make major improvements to the way people access one of the world’s largest airports.”
The work includes more than four miles of reconfigured roadway, new bridge construction, and traffic signal modifications designed to improve flow in and around the airport.
“We, along with our JV partner Skanska, are looking forward to building this new project with LAWA at LAX,” said Dale Nelson, executive vice president, FlatironDragados. “Our work will not only support the airport’s modernization but benefit local residents and communities by reducing congestion, improving safety, and leaving behind infrastructure for the region well beyond the Olympics.”
The ATMP focuses on airfield and terminal improvements within the airport’s existing footprint, as well as roadway upgrades designed to reduce congestion and vehicle idling on nearby streets. The project also includes advanced traffic monitoring systems aimed at cutting emissions by minimizing vehicle waiting times.
The roadway improvements coincide with LAWA’s new identity and design narrative for LAX, unveiled this week, which seeks to align all modernization projects under a unified vision that reflects Los Angeles’ cultural diversity, creativity, and energy.
“As we prepare to host major global events, we must ensure that visitors experience the diversity of every neighborhood from the moment they arrive in Los Angeles at LAX,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “This investment brings LA’s rich cultural identity front and center on the world stage.”
John Ackerman, LAWA’s chief executive officer, said the airport’s modernization and new branding are part of a shared goal to make LAX both a world-class transportation hub and a distinctly Los Angeles destination. “With this new identity, we’re putting the ‘L.A.’ in LAX,” he said. “Our goal is to create an airport experience that reflects the creativity, variety and energy that make Los Angeles unlike anywhere else in the world.”
The ATMP roadway work is expected to continue over the next several years as part of LAWA’s coordinated modernization plan, which also includes terminal expansions, new parking and mobility systems, and improved passenger amenities across the airport campus.
