This week, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) crews removed the fifteen pylons that have marked the entrance of LAX since 2000. The glowing ring of lights is an iconic visual marker flanking the famous LAX sign, part of a total of 26 pylons at the airport ranging between 25-100 feet tall.
LAWA is removing the pylons as part of the Airfield and Terminal Modernization Program (ATMP) Roadway Project, which will reconfigure roads around the airport in order to ease traffic congestion.
Artist Paul Tzanetopoulos is the one behind LAX’s original pylons, and LAWA is working with him to develop a new pylon design, which will be installed after construction is finished.
“Since their installation in 2000, the iconic LAX pylons have stood as a vibrant symbol of LAX and Los Angeles, welcoming more than 1.2 billion visitors from around the world,” said Michael Christensen, Chief Airport Development Officer of Los Angeles World Airports, in a press release.
“As part of the roadway modernization project, we have a unique opportunity to reimagine their design during this exciting new chapter in LAX’s transformation as our teams diligently prepare for the construction of elevated roadways that will ease congestion, enhance safety, and deliver a world-class experience for travelers and our community.”
The ATMP Roadway Project
The ATMP Roadway Project will reconfigure 4.4 miles of roads so as to separate airport-bound traffic from local neighborhood traffic via elevated ingress and egress roadways. The project will improve vehicle and pedestrian access to the Central Terminal Area, making for more streamlined routes and better safety.
Per the latest press release, LAWA anticipates completing the ingress roadways in time for the Olympics in 2028, and the egress roadways by 2030.
The ATMP Roadway Project is one of LAX’s numerous pending upgrades leading up to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, going hand-in-hand with developments such as the Automated People Mover, which connects LAX terminals to the newly-opened LAX/Metro Transit Center. The People Mover is expected to open in late 2026.