Bob Hope Airport transportation center nears opening

The grand opening of a new transportation center at Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport, which broke ground almost two years ago, will be held late next month, according to airport officials.

The $112-million project, which combines all car-rental services under one roof, includes a new parking structure to replace the parking capacity lost when Lot D was closed to make room for the center.

PHOTOS: Finishing touches on Bob Hope Airport’s new transportation center

Construction on the project began in July 2012 and the parking structure was completed last August. The $8.4-million structure has 1,043 parking spaces.

The event will also serve as a kickoff for a $15-million pedestrian bridge, a separate project that will cross over Empire Avenue and end inside the center,

making access to the airport easier from the Metrolink station.

The bridge will be funded, in part, by a $7-million grant from the California Department of Transportation and a matching grant from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Airport officials decided to combine the two occasions even though a contractor has not been awarded the bridge project yet, airport spokesman Victor Gill said.

There has been “internal dialogue” between airport officials and representatives from Metro, with which the airfield is coordinating on the project, Gill said, and news about the future of the bridge may be forthcoming at the grand opening.

“We anticipate an announcement about the next steps ahead for the project,” Gill said.

The grand-opening ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. on June 27 at the airport, 2627 N. Hollywood Way.

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Follow Mark Kellam on Twitter: @LAMarkKellam.

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