American construction specialist Swinerton Builders has secured a $209m contract to design and construct the Intermodal Transportation Facility–West (ITF-West), a new parking structure near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The contract was awarded by the Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which operates the Los Angeles International Airport.

Located between Westchester Parkway and 96th Street, the new parking facility is an integral part of the Landside Access Modernisation Program (LAMP).

The five-level parking structure will have the capacity to accommodate nearly 4,700 vehicles.

The facility will feature a dedicated concessions area, the LAX Security and Badging Office and a pick-up and drop-off curb for commercial and private vehicles. It is expected to commence operations in 2021.

The ITF-West station near the parking space will connect to the terminals through an automated people-mover (APM) system, which is expected to be operational in 2023.

BOAC president Sean Burton said: “Today’s approval to build the ITF-West represents another milestone in developing a more reliable and convenient way for travellers to access the terminals.

“Earlier this year, we awarded the contract to build an Automated People Mover and later this year we plan to award the Consolidated Rent-a-Car (ConRAC) facility contract. Together, these projects will provide much-needed parking and traffic relief for our passengers and the community.”

The project also includes the construction of new pedestrian walkways and plazas, which will integrate ITF-West with the surrounding area. Plans are in place to construct two new roadways to the west and north of the facility.

At present, LAWA provides parking space for 8,300 vehicles in the seven terminal loop structures. The construction of ITF-West is said to offer a 57% increase in parking space options for passengers.