Los Angeles International Airport's Midfield Satellite Concourse South opened to passengers on October 21, 2025, becoming only the second U.S. airfield project to use Offsite Construction and Relocation (OCR) - a modular delivery method that project teams say cut on-site assembly to weeks while keeping costs controlled. The nearly $421 million expansion adds eight new gates and more than 150,000 square feet of modern terminal space to the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Background
As Los Angeles prepares to host the 2028 Olympics, LAX is reinforcing its position as a major aviation hub through its $30 billion Capital Improvement Program, of which MSC South is a key milestone. The airport has begun the phased closure of Terminal 5 for a complete demolition and rebuild, designed to accommodate an anticipated surge of international travelers ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 NFL Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
MSC South marks only the second use of OCR at a U.S. airfield. Engineers and construction managers on the project say the approach resolves a long-standing tension in airport construction: how to deliver large-scale infrastructure without closing runways or taxiways for extended periods.
Details
Beginning in early 2024, the concourse's nine modular segments were built approximately 1.75 miles north of their final location, just beyond LAX's northern runways, allowing work to proceed without disrupting active airfield operations. Each segment was then transported overnight using Mammoet's Self-Propelled Modular Transporters, with runway closures timed to ensure safety and minimal operational impact. After final checks, each segment traveled to the project site at approximately 1.5 miles per hour, escorted by LAWA and project staff.
The structural frame of MSC South topped out in fewer than seven months after groundbreaking in June 2023, according to W.E. O'Neil Construction, the project's general contractor. Once on-site assembly began, a segment was moved every three days - meaning the entire structure was in place within about a month. The project was delivered on time and on budget.
The OCR approach improved safety by reducing the workload in an active airfield setting. It also streamlined workforce security access for the airside site, helping open the project to a more diverse labor pool and increasing LAWA's ability to engage Minority-Owned Business Enterprise contractors. The project brought together 374 local workers and achieved over 30% local hire participation, according to W.E. O'Neil, including two graduates of the HireLAX Apprenticeship Readiness Program.
Once assembled, the modular structure - with its demountable seismic joints and highly coordinated utility infrastructure - provides a flexible, sustainable design that can be disassembled and relocated in the future if needed. The project is targeting LEED Silver certification.
"The delivery model LAWA is innovating with our project partners at MSC South is enabling an accelerated timeline, budget control and efficiency," said Bea Hsu, Interim Chief Executive Officer of LAWA, at the project's topping-out ceremony.
Previous attempts to apply OCR at U.S. airport terminals addressed only structures and basic building services. For the LAX concourse, the design team completed a broad range of elements offsite, including interior fit-out, enabling faster final assembly at the airfield site.
Outlook
The OCR technique will also be used to deliver the new Terminal 5 at LAX, signaling that the method is moving from pilot project to repeatable delivery model within the same capital program. "Together with Woods Bagot, LAWA, and all other team members, we're revolutionizing the way work can be built at LAX - and at other airfields around the country," said Brian Rush, Vice President of Preconstruction at W.E. O'Neil.
For transit agencies and airport authorities facing constrained operational environments and compressed pre-event timelines, MSC South presents a documented case for offsite delivery. Project teams note, however, that permitting for flood-channel crossings, multi-agency coordination, and integration with existing terminal systems remain logistical hurdles requiring early-stage resolution in any replication effort.
