  An alternative expression for the length operator in loop quantum gravity is
presented. The operator is background independent, symmetric, positive
semidefinite, and well defined on the kinematical Hilbert space. The expression
for the regularized length operator can moreover be understood both from a
simple geometrical perspective as the average of a formula relating the length
to area, volume and flux operators, and also consistently as the result of
direct substitution of the densitized triad operator with the functional
derivative operator into the regularized expression of the length. Both these
derivations are discussed, and the origin of an undetermined overall factor in
each case is also elucidated.
