Long Beach Moves to Replace Bridge

The Port of Long Beach released the revised draft environmental impact report on a $1.1 billion project to replace the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge in the harbor area.

The bridge, which opened for traffic in 1968, carries an estimated 15 percent of the container traffic that enters the United States. It does not have the capacity to accommodate projected future port and commuter traffic.

Also, today’s mega-ships of 10,000 to 14,000 20-foot equivalent unit capacity can not navigate under the Gerald Desmond Bridge to reach some container terminals.

The bridge must also be replaced for safety reasons. Chunks of concrete occasionally break off from the structure. Engineers have fitted it with mesh “diapers” to catch the falling debris.

The new, taller bridge will have six lanes of traffic, plus emergency lanes in each direction, as opposed to the present structure that has five lanes.

Port representatives will hold public meetings in the coming weeks to gather community input on the revised draft EIR.