The advent of flight has been, obviously, one of the most important, if not THE most important addition in the history of travel. Sure, there are more cars than planes out there. But a plane can get hundreds of people across the ocean in a matter of hours, while cars can get 4 or 5 people across a few states, if you’re lucky, in the same period of time (I’m not looking at you, Texas).
That being said, airports require a lot of scheduled maintenance to keep them as functional and safe as possible. And sometimes airports just need a total refurb to make them more compatible with the aviation industry in the 21st century.
As it turns out, there are currently two large airports in California that are in the midst of their own respective bouts of construction. And if you plan to be flying in/out of them, you’re going to want to know the details so you can try to make the best plans for yourself.
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
According to the American Geophysical Union, the runways at SFO are sinking at a rate of approximately 0.4 inches per year. So, understandably, SFO has been repairing and shoring up its runways, on and off, for a few years now. It worked on one of its shorter runways in 2023 and one of its longest in 2024.
Now it’s time to start work on the runway closest to Highway 101, and airport officials have said work will begin on March 30, 2026.
Potential problems: delays
During the construction period, all departures and arrivals will use the longer runways 28 Left and 28 Right. But with one less runway in use, it means there will be some delays.
“SFO expects less than 10% of flights to be delayed as a result of the runway closure, with delays averaging less than 30 minutes and most likely to occur during peak periods at 9:00am and 8:00pm – 9:00pm.”
This runway work is scheduled to continue through October 2, 2026.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX has needed an overhaul for decades. One of the airport’s most notorious issues is its horseshoe-shaped terminal configuration, which creates a constant bottleneck for both vehicle and passenger flow. Unlike airports with a central terminal design, LAX’s layout forces traffic into a confined loop, which leads to congestion, delays, and frustration for travelers. Previous efforts to address these issues have been largely ineffective, but a $30 billion modernization plan is now in progress to fix LAX’s biggest pain points.
Right now, airport officials say that new construction began at the airport this past Tuesday. As a result, a pedestrian walkway is being torn down and several traffic lanes have been closed. Fortunately, all of the work that will be most frustrating to travelers should (fingers crossed) be done by the end of this weekend:
Lower/Arrivals Level: Tuesday, January 6 to Sunday, January 11, nightly 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Outer lanes at the pedestrian bridge work site will be closed; traffic must use inner lanes.
- The entrance on World Way South to Parking Structure 6 will be closed. Cars must use the Lower West Way entrance to Parking Structure 5.
- The Terminal 5 rental car shuttle stop and Terminal 4 LAX-it shuttle stop will both be closed. Passengers should use the next available shuttle stop.
Upper/Departures Level: Wednesday, January 7 to Friday, January 9, nightly 11:59 p.m. to 4 a.m.
- All lanes will be closed at pedestrian bridge location; drivers should use Upper West Way and Upper East Way instead.
- Entrances from Upper West Way and Upper East Way to Parking Structure 2 and Parking Structure 5 will be closed; travelers should use lower/arrivals entrances instead.
- The Terminal 4 hotel and private parking shuttle stop will be closed; travelers should use the next available shuttle stop.
- Charter buses and FlyAway shuttles will operate on the lower/arrivals level only.
If you’re going to be around either of those airports during their respective construction, bring your patience, travel friends.
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