Officials from the Port of Los Angeles were joined by city and federal representatives to break ground on a 1.3-mile redevelopment of Harry Bridges Boulevard located on the northern side of the port's TraPac container terminal and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics auto terminal.
Expected to be completed in 2012, the $22 million project will completely revamp the stretch of roadway, which runs from the northern end of Gibson Boulevard to the southern end of Alameda Street and serves as the main route for trucks heading from the port to State Route 47. The project will include grading, utility relocations, construction of concrete walks, gutters, driveways, traffic signals, fire hydrants, street lighting storm drainage, signage, landscaping, irrigation and fiber optic infrastructure.
While the completed project will maintain the roadway's current two lanes in each direction, expansion of the roadbed during the project will provide space to add an additional lane in each direction if future demand increases.
The project is being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is expected to create more than 250 local construction jobs.
In other Port of Los Angeles news, port officials have approved a contract with security expert Stephen Flynn to assist the port in developing a program and securing support from government and industry to increase the scanning of containerized cargo destined for the port prior to loading at overseas terminals. Flynn will also be responsible for working with port staff in seeking public sector and/or industry funding for this program, including funding for the overseas deployment of cargo screening equipment. The port approved the one-year contract term with two, one-year renewal options, for an amount not-to-exceed $200,000.
Flynn, recently named the President of the Center for National Policy, is also a bestselling author on the topic of national security. Prior to joining the CNP, he spent a decade as a senior fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Following the election of President Barack Obama, he served as the lead policy advisor on homeland security for the presidential transition team. He also currently serves as a member of the bipartisan National Security Preparedness Group, co-chaired by former 9/11 commissioners, Governor Tom Kean and Congressman Lee Hamilton.
