Los Angeles International Airport has opened a new taxi-way designed to reduce the risk of collision when planes cross one of the two runways on the southside of LAX.
The $83m taxiway marks the completion of $333m of improvements made to the southern area of the airport, including reconstruction of a runway.
Historically, LAX has had one of the highest rates of runway incursions in the US, with 80% of such incidents occurring when pilots landed on the outer runway, turned onto a series of taxiways and stopped too close to the inner runway, near where aircraft take off, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Officials say the project should reduce the number of incursions by acting as a buffer between runways.
After landing, pilots will be directed by air traffic controllers to turn onto the taxiway, where they will await clearance to cross the inner runway.
By staff writer
