LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The $737-million Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) Renovation Project, completed last February at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), has been recognized by McGraw-Hill Publication's California Construction magazine as one of the state's best construction and design projects of 2010. The project received an Award of Merit in the Transportation-Southern California Category.
McGraw-Hill in-print and online construction publications, such as California Construction magazine, serve more than one million subscribers within the $5.6-trillion global construction community by providing construction project information, industry news, trends and forecasts. An independent jury of industry experts in design and construction judged more than 135 nominated projects throughout the state in a variety of categories and deemed 53 of them as award winners. The jury awarded projects based on entry criteria, including project management and client service, safety, design and functionality. Eligible projects were located in California and were substantially completed in the past year.
"This award recognizes the hard work that went in to revitalizing the Bradley Terminal in order to provide passengers with an airport experience they expect from a world-class city like Los Angeles," said Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey.
Terminal renovations included the airline ticketing lobby, the customs hall, arrivals corridors, arrivals lobby, boarding gate waiting rooms and extensive modifications to two gates in order to accommodate larger new-generation aircraft. The largest single component of the project added 45,000 square feet to house a new in-line baggage screening system that eliminated the need for passengers to stand in a separate line after receiving their boarding passes to have their checked luggage screened. The project also included an Enhanced Passenger Experience element which focused on the aesthetic, rather than utilitarian aspects of the renovation. Construction took place from February 2007 through February 2010.
The 30+ airlines operating in TBIT also separately invested $20-million of their own funds to create new first- and business-class lounges based on their airline alliances (code-sharing partners).
The renovation project included installations of video and information monitors in the baggage claim area in the Customs Arrivals Hall to provide a warm welcome to travelers and a color-changing light wall, flat-screen displays and public video art installations in the "meeters and greeters" area. Restaurant facades in the mezzanine food court were given a new look. The terminal's building management systems were upgraded, including automating the lighting control system with high-efficiency, fluorescent lighting with dimmable ballasts, and installing more energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. The project also focused on materials and resource conservation, with more than 75 percent of construction and demolition waste recycled or salvaged.
All of the 53 award winners will be featured in the December 2010 issue of California Construction and will be honored at an awards breakfast on December 1 at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach.
LAX is the seventh busiest airport in the world, offering more than 565 daily flights to 81 destinations in the U.S. and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 65 international destinations on over 75 carriers. LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a department of the City of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles World Airports logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7299
CONTACT: Los Angeles World Airports Albert Rodriguez (424) 646-5260