A massive new US$1.73-billion concourse with 15 gates has opened at Los Angeles International Airport. Known as West Gates, the nearly five-year construction project will serve both international and domestic flights and is part of a $14.5 billion overall airport modernization plan.

“This is a big day in a big city that’s building out a big new infrastructure,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said during an opening ceremony on Monday.

Located just west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the five-level, 69,677-sq.-m. West Gates concourse is 1,700 518 m. long.

Officials said it is based around a digitally based travel experience, including biometric boarding gates, thousands of places to plug in and access wireless internet – with 5G later this year – and touchscreen kiosks.

There are two nursing rooms, three play areas for children and a relief area for service animals.

The airport describes the West Gates’ baggage handling and boarding system as the most advanced in the US.

The airport improvement project involves all of the airport’s passenger terminals. New facilities include an automated people mover train, a consolidated rental car facility and a parking structure for 4,300 vehicles. And a new metro station will at long last connect the airport to Los Angeles County’s light rail system.