Offsite at Los Angeles International Airport

_{Credit: Los Angeles World Airports}

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has begun the process of relocating all nine segments of the Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC) South project from the offsite construction location to the airfield at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Upon the project’s completion, MSC South will serve as an extension of the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal, offering approximately 13,500m² of space and eight gates for narrowbody aircraft.

This relocation began as the airport marked the successful delivery of the project’s third segment to the project site, which is located south of the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.

The MSC South project is being built using a technique called offsite construction and relocation (OCR), which enables segments of a project to be constructed at a different location before being transported to the final site for installation. Construction of the segments began earlier in 2024 just north of LAX’s northern runways and outside of the airfield operations area, allowing for an unprecedented level of operational flexibility and workforce inclusion, with minimal impacts on airport operations.

“LAX’s modernization applies to more than just the projects we build. It includes taking on bold and modern construction methods like offsite construction and relocation that will enable us to deliver incredible facilities like MSC South, while saving time and money and allowing us to create jobs for our local workforce,” said Michael Christensen, chief airport development officer of Los Angeles World Airports. “The partnership and collaboration between LAWA, W.E. O’Neil [general contractor] and the entire project team is what brought us to this milestone, and I look forward to the project’s final completion next year. Together, we are setting a new standard for innovation in airport infrastructure.”

Each scheduled segment relocation begins around midnight, following the temporary closures of Runways 24R and 24L. Segments are transported using two self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT) from Mammoet, which are placed under each side of the segment. After final checks and verifications, the segment begins its 2.8km trip to the project site at a speed of approximately 2.4km/h, escorted by LAWA and project staff members in vehicles and on foot, who also monitor for foreign object debris or possible unforeseen issues. The runways are immediately reopened following thorough inspections by LAX airport operations staff.

The construction team delivering MSC South under W.E. O’Neil is comprised of local workers, with more than 30% representation from the Los Angeles workforce. Because the segments were constructed using the OCR method, contractors were able to include workers who may not have been eligible to perform work on an active airfield. The project includes 374 local hires and two HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program graduates. More than 32% of total work hours to date have been completed by local workers, surpassing the project’s goal of 30%.

“I am so proud of our team on achieving this project milestone,” said Michael Byrne, executive vice president of W.E. O’Neil. “There is still a lot of work to be done from now until MSC South is complete, but there is no doubt in my mind that the team assembled on this project includes some of the best professionals our industry has to offer, and we will be back to celebrate the completion of this landmark project with our partners at LAWA.”

Overnight relocations of the remaining six segments will continue throughout the month. Once all nine segments are in place, project crews will assemble them together and continue construction at the site through 2025.

Source: Passenger Terminal Today