WARNING: If You're Flying In or Out of LAX

Los Angeles officials, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, are warning people to plan ahead in advance of the "Century Crunch," a 57-hour closure of a major intersection leading to Los Angeles International Airport.

The "Century Crunch" takes place over the weekend of July 25-28, when the freight rail bridge over Century and Aviation boulevards is demolished to make way for a new aerial light-rail station. Century and Aviation is a major entrance point to the airport and traffic bottlenecks are typical even when the boulevards aren't closed off. Nearby detours will allow cars and buses to access LAX (see map); the mayor urges fliers to plan ahead and take public transportation. On Tuesday, Los Angeles World Airports launches a new direct FlyAway bus service from LAX's terminals to Santa Monica, near the Pacific Ocean. FlyAway already has direct bus service (usually for $10 or less) to Union Station in downtown, Westwood Village (near UCLA), the Expo/La Brea light-rail station in Mid-City, and Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley; a direct bus to Hollywood launches in September.

The new train station at Century and Aviation is part of a new light-rail line connecting the city's Green Line to the Expo Line — a new People Mover is planned that will take travelers directly to LAX's terminals. Construction just began on the project so it will be years before it opens, though.