Status and update of the LMJ construction

The Commissariat \`{a} l'Energie Atomique is currently constructing the Laser MegaJoule (LMJ) at CESTA near Bordeaux in France. The LMJ's primary missions are Inertial Confinement Fusion Research and High energy Density Physics. This facility is designed to produce 1.8 MJ of blue (0.35 $\mu $m) light at 500 TW onto targets to meet the requirements of inertial confinement fusion. The Laser and Target Area Building houses the 240 laser beams in four bays. The beams are directed through 60 ports into a 10-meter diameter spherical target chamber located in the central part of the building, the Target Area Building. This building was ``topped out'' in November 2006 and the first bundles are being installed in the Laser Bay 1. The paper will describe recent activities and update plans for LMJ construction.