Long Beach Bridge Tours

By Karen Robes Meeks

Want a closer look at the new $1.47 billion span that will replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach, Calif.? The port is offering its popular construction site tours and has opened free registrations for two new opportunities set for Jan. 16 and Feb. 20. Visits will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Visitors will be bused to two locations on or close to the construction area to view and photograph the project from a variety of different angles.

Upon completion, the new bridge will feature six traffic lanes, a taller clearance for large cargo vessels to pass through and a bike and pedestrian path.

For more information on the project, go to www.newgdbridge.com.

To reserve your place on one of the tours visit https://www.eventbrite.com/o/gerald-desmond-bridge-replacement-project-17761916129?mc_eid=9feaaa0e54&mc_cid=d68a48383d&mc_cid=c1cab58845&mc_eid=f15fc0fac7.

Power Line Study at Long Beach

By Karen Robes Meeks

The Port of Long Beach is seeking community input on a draft report that studies the environmental impact of Southern California Edison’s proposal to modify transmission and telecommunication lines that cross the Cerritos Channel.

A hearing on the draft environmental impact report, which was released Monday July 24, will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday August 16, in the Board Room at the Port of Long Beach Interim Administrative Offices, 4801 Airport Plaza Drive in Long Beach.

The base of the new bridge replacing the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge will be 205 feet above the port’s back channel, higher than Edison’s current transmission towers’ electric lines, which are 155 feet above water. Edison would need to take out and replace the transmission towers and raise the electric lines where they cross the channel at Piers A and S so that the lines don’t impede movement through the back channel.

A copy of the draft report can be found www.polb.com/ceqa.

Written comments must be submitted by September 11 to Heather Tomley, Director of Environmental Planning, Port of Long Beach, 4801 Airport Plaza Drive, Long Beach, CA 90815, or to ceqa@polb.com, indicate the project title in the subject line.

POLB Sets Up Bridge Construction Webcams

The Port of Long Beach is providing live web cameras for residents, commuters and bridge aficionados to safely view construction of the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project.

The webcams offer 24-hour views of the Gerald Desmond Bridge construction area at newgdbridge.com.

Through live cameras, viewers can see real-time activities, monitor bridge and roadway traffic and follow the bridge construction as it progresses.

“There is a tremendous amount of public interest in the construction of this new bridge,” Port of Long Beach Community Relations Manager John Pope said. “However, there is not a safe, accessible vantage point within the Port to view construction activities. These new webcams offer the best, safest way for everyone to experience the historic construction.”

A combination of live streaming video and high resolution cameras were placed at three locations: the World Trade Center rooftop facing west toward the bridge; at Pier A facing south; and at Pier T facing north. The viewpoints will allow viewers to follow along as the replacement bridge is being built and when the existing bridge is eventually demolished. Tools on the site allow users to control the cameras for a better view, including zooming in and out and selecting full-screen views. A special feature provides one minute time-lapse videos from still shots taken at noon each day.

The web cameras can also be accessed through the project smartphone app. To download the app, search for “LB Bridge” in Apple’s App Store, Google Play or Windows Phone Store.

The new bridge, which will rise adjacent to the existing Gerald Desmond Bridge, will be one of the tallest cable-stayed bridges in the United States and the first of its kind in California. The existing Gerald Desmond Bridge will be demolished once the new bridge is completed.

Long Beach Port Schedules Public Workshops

The Port of Long Beach has scheduled two workshops to update the public on the status of multiple major construction projects and how the port is managing the projects’ traffic impacts.

Interested parties can drop by any time between 7 and 9 am or 5 and 7 pm Aug 28 for updates on the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project, Schuyler Heim Bridge Replacement Project, Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project, Anaheim Street repaving and port-wide traffic management.

The $1 billion Desmond Bridge project consists of replacement of the obsolete structure with a new state-of-the-art span. The new bridge, which is expected to be complete in 2016, is being built immediately adjacent to and north of the existing 45-year-old Gerald Desmond Bridge.

The Schuyler Heim Bridge Replacement, which is still in the planning stages, would replace the seismically deficient Schuyler Heim Bridge over Cerritos Channel and add a four-lane elevated roadway connection to Alameda Street that would provide an alternative route from Terminal Island and provide direct access to local distribution centers and warehousing facilities and local freeways.

The Middle Harbor redevelopment is a nine-year, $1.2 billion project to upgrade wharfs, water access and storage areas, plus add a greatly expanded on-dock rail yard in order to create a super-terminal.

Both workshops are scheduled for Wed., Aug 28 in the Luna Solstice Room of the Hotel Maya, located near the port’s headquarters building. The Hotel Maya is located at 700 Queensway Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802.

5,000-Plus Construction Jobs Created by POLB in 2012

The Port of Long Beach says that its modernization projects created 5,166 new construction-related jobs in the region in 2012, more than 2,000 more than the number created the previous year.

The port mainly attributes the employment leap to the award of contracts for the design and building of the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement and an ongoing terminal makeover. In 2012, Long Beach awarded a $650 million design-build contract for the bridge project and major contracts for the Middle Harbor Redevelopment Program.

“The creation of more than 5,000 new jobs is welcome news for Southern California,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Susan Anderson Wise said. “Keep in mind that these projects are modernizing our port in order for us to stay competitive and remain a reliable economic resource that supports hundreds of thousands of permanent trade-related jobs.”

Other contracts awarded in 2012 included environmental work, security upgrades, shore power installations for terminals and other infrastructure.

The port says the job figures were calculated by examining each project to determine how many direct construction jobs are created. Estimates are then made of the spin-off jobs associated with industries that support the construction, as well as the jobs that result from construction and support industry workers spending their salaries.

The share of direct construction jobs that make up each project’s estimated job total ranges from 40 to 64 percent. The great majority of these direct jobs are located in the city of Long Beach.

In 2011, port construction contracts generated 2,985 new jobs, and in 2010, 880 were generated.
Long Beach is in the midst of a 10-year, $4.5 billion capital improvement program. Although the bridge replacement is mostly funded with state, federal and county transportation monies, the capital improvement program overall is supported primarily by the revenue generated by the shipping trade.

The port says it moves more than $155 billion in goods each year, with that cargo flow supporting over 300,000 permanent Southern California jobs.

Groundbreaking for Desmond Bridge Set

The Port of Long Beach is scheduled to break ground on construction of a new, $1 billion bridge next week. The event will officially mark the start of the largest bridge project in Southern California.

The new structure, which is expected to have towers reaching 500 feet above ground level, is a replacement for the obsolete and deteriorating Gerald Desmond Bridge. The cable-stayed bridge, which will act as a connector between the Long Beach and Los Angeles port areas, is expected to include additional traffic lanes, a higher clearance to accommodate the new generation of cargo ships, dedicated bicycle paths and pedestrian walkways, including overlooks 200 feet above the water.

The port says the design-build project could create about 3,000 jobs a year, on average, for three years. The $1 billion in construction-related spending is expected to generate regional economic activity of about $2 billion.

The bridge replacement, which is designed to ease traffic congestion and improve safety, is being jointly procured by the port and the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans, Los Angeles County Metro and the US Department of Transportation are among those contributing funds to the project.

While the contract for the joint venture is about $650 million, the total cost of the overall bridge replacement project is estimated at about $1 billion, including site preparation, demolition and other considerations.

Construction is expected to be complete in 2016, according to the port.

POLB Awards Bridge Replacement Contract

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved a $649.5 million contract with a joint venture team for the design and construction of a replacement for the Port of Long Beach’s obsolete and deteriorating Gerald Desmond Bridge.

The team the contract was awarded to is headed by Shimmick Construction Co., FCC Construction SA and Impregilo SpA. The joint venture also includes subcontractors Arup North America Ltd. and Biggs Cardosa Associates Inc.

Final design and engineering is expected to begin shortly, with construction of the new bridge scheduled to start in 2013 and be completed in 2016.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the joint venture team finalize the designs and then get to work building the bridge that will serve our communities and the needs of international trade for years to come,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Susan E. Anderson Wise said.

The bridge replacement, which is designed to ease traffic congestion and improve safety, is being jointly procured by the port and the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans, Los Angeles County Metro and the U.S. Department of Transportation are among those contributing funds to the project.

While the contract for the joint venture is about $650 million, the total cost of the overall bridge replacement project is estimated at about $1 billion, including site preparation, demolition and other considerations. Over the four years of construction and demolition, the work is expected to employ nearly 3,000 people a year on average.

The Desmond Bridge, which opened in 1968, connects Terminal Island, which is the heart of the port complex, with the Long Beach (710) Freeway and downtown Long Beach.

The new bridge, rising more than 200 feet over the water, is designed to include a separate bicycle and pedestrian path.

The bridge replacement is a design-build project, which combines design and construction work into one contract to expedite the project and potentially reduce costs.

Long Beach Commission Approves Bridge Replacement Contract

The Port of Long Beach’s Board of Harbor Commissioners on May 14 gave its preliminary approval to a contract to design and build a replacement for the Gerald Desmond Bridge, the nearly 45-year-old corridor that crosses the Cerritos Channel.

The commission voted unanimously to award a $649 million contract to a consortium of companies that includes Shimmick Construction, FCC Construction and Impreglio SpA. The project consists of replacement of the current bridge, which has been structurally obsolete for years and faces critical maintenance issues.

“Today is an historic day,” commissioner Rich Dines said at the time of the vote. “I look forward to having this bridge built on time and under budget and creating many thousands of jobs. It’s been a long time coming.”

According to the port, replacement of the bridge will increase the water-to-bridge clearance from 154 feet to 205 feet, allowing larger ships to call at the port’s inner harbor terminals. The work to be performed includes building a six lane, cable-stayed bridge; the current bridge has four lanes and has a through arch design.

The consortium beat out two other companies for the contract and was not only the lowest bidder, but its technical proposal was ranked the highest by the selection committee, which included a representative each from the port, the California Dept. of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the three agencies that are teaming to pay for the project.

Under port bylaws, a second vote by the commission is needed to formally ratify the agreement; that vote’s expected to take place in late June. Construction could begin as soon as early 2013.

Job Activity Nearly Triples at Port of Long Beach

About 3,000 additional jobs were generated at the Port of Long Beach in 2011, along with nearly $300 million in regional economic activity, thanks to new construction projects, port officials revealed in a report this week.

“This report reaffirms all the positive things we’re doing here,” POLB Executive Director J. Christopher Lytle said. “The money we’re investing is paying off in terms of jobs created.”

Among the projects cited for the boost were the kickoff of the port’s $1.2 billion Middle Harbor redevelopment project, preliminary construction on the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement and a new maintenance facility.

The estimated 3,000 jobs were nearly triple that of the prior year; in 2010, port projects generated about 880 jobs.

“2011 was a spectacular year for jobs, particularly when compared to 2010. By February 2011, we had exceeded the number of jobs added in all of 2010,” Larry Cottrill, the port’s Director of Master Planning said. About 96 percent were in construction-related fields, he said.

The port has about $4.5 billion in capital improvements planned for the next decade, which could generate as many as 50,000 new, permanent jobs in the region plus thousands of temporary construction jobs.

The port currently supports as estimated 30,000 jobs in Long Beach – one in eight in the city – as well as nearly 316,000 throughout Southern California. Nationwide, the port says it supports about 1.4 million jobs in fields related to goods movement, including dock work, truck driving, warehousing and freight forwarding.

California State Treasurer Warns on Long Beach Bridge Funds

California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer told maritime industry representatives last week that the California budget situation could impact a major bridge replacement project underway at the Port of Long Beach.

Lockyear, appearing as the keynote speaker at a Pacific Merchant Shipping Association annual luncheon in Long Beach, said that until the state budget for the coming fiscal year is approved by the state legislature, he can not issue bonds to cover the more than $250 million in state funds promised for the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement project in Long Beach. Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature, like many state governments, have been locked in a tough budget battle stalemate on how to address serious budget revenue shortfalls and growing deficits.

Lockyear said that until the budget is approved, which is required under the state constitution by June 15, projects like the Gerald Desmond Bridge will remain on what he described as the state's "wish list" of projects to fund.

Already in preliminary stages of construction, the $950 million bridge replacement project is considered the largest and most critical goods movement infrastructure project under way in Southern California. With an estimated 15 percent of the nation's transpacific trade traveling over the bridge annually, the replacement has also been deemed a project of "national significance."

The project is being funded by a mix of federal, state, regional and port funds. According to port officials, the state funds were anticipated to be used in early stages of the project and any lengthy delay in accessing these funds could create problems in the construction schedule. Close to $100 million, mainly in port funds, has already been spent over the past decade on development and preparatory construction for the project. The contract for the major construction phase of the new bridge is currently out to bid and expected to be awarded by the end of the year, with construction anticipated to begin sometime in 2012.

Built in 1968, the current Gerald Desmond Bridge is outdated and, while deemed safe for commuters to travel on, the bridge currently suffers from a low "sufficiency rating" from the California Department of Transportation.

With millions of car, truck and port cargo trips annually crossing the bridge, the traffic now exceeds its operational capacity, posing safety, congestion and maintenance challenges. It is estimated that.

The new cable-stayed replacement bridge will not only provide emergency lanes, but also three main traffic lanes in each direction, and a reduction in the current bridge's steep grades to improve traffic flow and safety. The replacement will also have a higher span over the port's main channel, allowing the newest generation of cargo ships to access the port's back channels.

“This new bridge will relieve traffic congestion and improve goods movement in the nation’s two busiest ports,” California Department of Transportation Director Cindy McKim said in March.

Once construction begins, the project is expected to generate 4,000 jobs a year during the estimated five years of construction, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

Steinke to Retire from Port of Long Beach

Richard D. Steinke, executive director of the Port of Long Beach for the past 14 years, today announced his plans to retire from the Port, effective September 30, 2011.

“I have accomplished most of what I set out to do at the Port,” said Steinke. ”I’m pleased that I can move on knowing that I leave the Port a better place than when I came on board.”

Under Steinke’s leadership, the Port redeveloped the massive, former Long Beach Naval Complex, creating one of the nation’s largest container cargo terminals. He transitioned the Port, making it both a builder of modern cargo terminals and a leading environmental steward. Steinke implemented a pioneering Green Port Policy that included the successful Clean Trucks Program developed with the rival Port of Los Angeles.

Partnerships and collaboration are hallmarks of Steinke’s leadership style, enabling him to steer the Port through the complex process of winning approval for the $1 billion Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project, which will create one of the most efficient and greenest terminals in the world, and the $950 million Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project, which will assure safe access in and out of the nation’s leading port complex. Steinke’s retirement comes as the Port is kicking off $4 billion in major improvements over the next decade to cement its position among the world’s leading ports.

“Dick has been instrumental in developing the Port of Long Beach into one of the top seaports in the world,” said Nick Sramek, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, which governs the Port of Long Beach. “He led the Port out of the recent recession, keeping it strong financially, while guiding our major modernization and environmental projects. “

Sramek said the Board of Harbor Commissioners would begin the search for Steinke’s successor shortly, and Steinke has agreed to assist the Board in both the selection process and the smooth transition to a new executive director.

“Dick has helped us develop a great staff, a great team here at the Port, and we’re confident that we can maintain Long Beach’s world-class status,” Sramek added.

Steinke’s leadership extended throughout the U.S. port industry. He has been the chief spokesman for the U.S. West Coast Collaboration, a partnership of West Coast ports and the major western railroads. He has been chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities and the California Association of Port Authorities. Steinke serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility Joint Powers Authority, the Harbor Association of Industry and Commerce, Intermodal Transportation Institute and St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, and he is a member of the Red Cross CEO Advisory Committee.

The Port of Long Beach is the second-busiest container cargo port in the United States, and part of the sixth-busiest port complex in the world. In 2010, more than $140 billion in trade moved through the Port of Long Beach, supporting 300,000 jobs throughout Southern California and 1.4 million across the country.

New Long Beach Port Bridge Will Include Bike and Ped Paths

The aging Gerald Desmond Bridge is a major ingress and egress point for cargo truck traffic at the Port of Long Beach with more than 15 percent of the nation's cargo moving over it annually. Its replacement, which will provide greater vehicle capacity and increase clearance to allow larger vessels to transit underneath, will also include a concession to the local communities – a bike and pedestrian path allowing the public to cross the proposed structure.

Earlier this year, concerns had been raised by some local elected officials and the biking community that such a path would not be included in the estimated $950 million bridge replacement project.

Port commissioners were told Monday by port staff that the bike/pedestrian path is included in the request for proposal (RFP) that will go out to the four firms selected earlier this month by the port to bid on the bridge project. Port staff had previously assured the Long Beach City Council that the bike/pedestrian path would be part of the project, and port Managing Director of Environmental Affairs and Planning Robert Kanter told the commission that this commitment remains part of the bridge project.

"The [RFP] package will require bids to include a Class 1 bike path and pedestrian path in the solicitation – these are mandatory requirements and must be included for the [bidders] to be considered responsive," Kanter said.

A Class 1 bike/pedestrian path, according to Kanter, is an area for bicycles and pedestrians that is separated from vehicle traffic on the bridge.

In response to repeated questions from the commissioners, Kanter said that the bike/pedestrian path will be included in the estimated $950 million cost of the replacement bridge, which is being funded by a mix of federal, state, regional and local dollars.

The port and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are now finalizing the first draft of the bridge project RFP that will go out to the four identified bidders in late April or early May, according to Kanter.

Following a comment period where the bidders can offer input to and/or seek clarification of the bidding package, the port and Caltrans will develop a final draft of the RFP by September Kanter said.

Final bids from the four firms are expected to be opened by the port sometime in November or December.

Although the bike.pedestrian path will not add any additional cost to the total $950 million estimate of the bridge project, the port's Managing Director of Engineering Doug Thiessen warned about the repercussions of further additions to the project.
"We have made [the bike/pedestrian path] part of the project, but, there could be a great temptation to add additional scope of work to the project," Thiessen told the commissioners, "As we progress down the road, we must resist this temptation or the budget [for the bridge project] will continue to grow."

Built in 1968, the current Gerald Desmond Bridge is outdated and, while deemed safe for commuters to travel on, the bridge suffers from a low "sufficiency rating" from Caltrans.

With millions of car, truck and port cargo trips annually crossing the bridge, the traffic now exceeds its operational capacity, posing safety, congestion and maintenance challenges.

In addition to the bike/pedestrian path, the new bridge will not only provide vehicle emergency lanes, but also three main traffic lanes in each direction, and a reduction in the bridge's steep grades to improve traffic flow and safety. The replacement will also have a higher span over the port's main channel, allowing the newest generation of cargo ships to access the port's back channels.

Long Beach Port Selects Four Firms Eligible to Build New Bridge

After more than a decade of planning, the posibility of a replacement for the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge at the Port of Long Beach is quickly moving toward reality.

On Friday, port officials announced that four teams of engineering and construction firms have been deemed eligible to compete for the contract to design and build the $950 million structure.

With the help of federal, state and local funds, port officials plan to demolish the current bridge, which serves as a main ingress and egress route for the port's Terminal Island facilities, and replace it with a new, six-lane, cable-stayed span adjacent to the current bridge site.

The $950-million project is a joint effort of the California Department of Transportation and the Port of Long Beach, along with the US Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The four firms were selected by a group of Caltrans, Port and MTA officials from a field of seven firms that submitted qualifications earlier this year. Determinations were based on each firm's breadth of experience, personnel, resources and other key factors.

"To build the best bridge possible, we sought out the best firms from around the world," said Doug Thiessen, the port’s Managing Director of Engineering. “We had a very good response. We look forward to working closely with these four finalists during the final key phase of the selection process.”

The four teams are:

• Dragados USA, Inc. (CC Myers, Inc., Dragados USA, Inc., Figg Bridge Engineers, Inc., Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.).
• Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. (Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., T.Y. Lin International).
• Shimmick Construction Company Inc. (Shimmick Construction Company, Inc., FCC Construction S.A./Impregilo S.p.A., Arup/Biggs Cardosa).
• Skanska (Skanska/Traylor/Massman, Buckland & Taylor Ltd., CH2M HILL Engineers, Inc.).

Caltrans and the port are currently preparing a request for proposals for the design and construction of the new bridge, ramp connectors and a bicycle/pedestrian path. The four teams will be invited to submit their proposals in late 2011, and construction could begin in 2012.

Built in 1968, the Gerald Desmond Bridge is outdated and, while deemed safe for commuters to travel on, it is increasingly likely that Caltrans inspectors could uncover a structural deficiency as the bridge ages that would require it to be shut down for major repairs. The bridge already suffers from a low "sufficiency rating" from Caltrans.

With millions of car, truck and port cargo trips annually crossing the bridge, the traffic now exceeds its operational capacity, posing safety, congestion and maintenance challenges.

The new bridge will not only provide emergency lanes, but also three main traffic lanes in each direction, and a reduction in the bridge's steep grades to improve the traffic flow and safety. The replacement will also have a higher span over the port's main channel, allowing the newest generation of cargo ships to access the port's back channels.

“This new bridge will relieve traffic congestion and improve goods movement in the nation’s two busiest ports,” said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim. “We are pleased to see this important project moving forward.”

Once construction begins, the project is expected to generate 4,000 jobs a year for five years of construction according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

Long Beach Port Formally Launches Bridge Replacement Project

While there were not the familiar trappings of golden shovels breaking ceremonial ground, the Port of Long Beach on Monday welcomed local, state and federal officials to formally kick off the $950 million replacement of the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge.
Port officials have spent more than a decade planning, developing and scraping together numerous funding sources to replace the 1960s-era bridge that now serves as more of a bottleneck than a key arterial roadway for the majority of Southern California port cargo.

The existing 156-foot-tall Gerald Desmond Bridge, which is named after a former city official, links the port-area Terminal Island to Long Beach proper. The 40-year-old steel and concrete structure is a main ingress and egress point for trucks into the port. Upwards of 60,000 vehicles a day cross it's five-lane, 1,200-foot-long span over the port's main channel.

More than 15 percent of the nation's containerized cargo flows over the bridge each year and despite numerous upgrades by the port, the current bridge remains under-capacity and continues to deteriorate. In addition, the bridge also lacks sufficient height to allow passage by the most modern cargo vessels – essentially cutting off terminals located along the port's back channels.

Described as one of the port-area's most critical infrastructure needs, the new bridge will be taller, wider and safer than the current bridge, according to port officials. The current funding package put together by the port includes: $500 million from California state highway and transportation bond funds; $340 million from federal sources; $114 million from the port; and, $28 million from Los Angeles County.

"As resources become increasingly scarce, addressing our current and future needs will require new forms of partnerships among government agencies and our private sector partners," said California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency Secretary Dale Bonner at Monday's "project launch" ceremony at the port.

Bonner added that projects like the bridge replacement would serve as the model for ways to continue investing in infrastructure, improving the environment, and increasing the operational efficiencies and overall competitiveness of the San Pedro Bay ports.

“The new Gerald Desmond Bridge will reduce congestion, enhance safety and improve traffic flow,” said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim. “By undertaking bold projects like this one, we’re improving mobility and encouraging commerce across California.”
The Port and Caltrans are seeking firms that are qualified to take on the job to both design and build the new bridge. Design and preliminary construction could begin by mid-2011 and construction of the main bridge supports could start in early 2012.

“The new bridge will be designed to handle the traffic and cargo needs of the region – not just now, but well into the future,” said Nick Sramek, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. “It's time to get started!”

Key SoCal Bridge Replacement Project Gets Final Go Ahead

After nearly ten years of planning, development and scraping together numerous funding sources to replace an aging and under-capacity bridge serving as a key arterial roadway for Southern California port cargo, officials at the Port of Long Beach received the final go ahead Wednesday from government officials to begin the bridge replacement project.

Members of the California Transportation Commission approved the funding and building plans for the $950 million Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project, clearing the way for the port and Caltrans to solicit bids for the design and construction of the new bridge.

The CTC's unanimous approval, the final governmental approval needed to start the project, authorizes a design-build contracting process that will accelerate the start of construction. The port plans to issue a solicitation for design-build firms that can handle the project as soon as Friday. Port officials estimate that actual construction could begin as early as 2012. Preliminary estimates indicate that the project will take five years to complete.

“The Transportation Commission’s approval is a major milestone for this project,” said Nick Sramek, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. “It allows us to embark upon one of the biggest construction projects in the state and to replace an obsolete bridge with a new one built to handle the traffic and cargo needs of the region.”

The port began working to replace the bridge nearly a decade ago, but a lack of funding sources has stalled the project several times.

The current funding package put together by the port includes: $500 million from California state highway and transportation bond funds; $3400 million from federal sources; $114 million from the port; and, #28 million from Los Angeles County.

The Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement has been described as one of the port-area's most critical infrastructure needs. The new bridge will be taller, wider and safer than the current bridge, according to port officials.

The existing 156-foot-tall Gerald Desmond Bridge, which is named after a former City official, links the port-area Terminal Island to Long Beach proper. The 40-year-old steel and concrete structure is a main ingress and egress point for trucks into the port. Upwards of 60,000 vehicles a day cross it's five-lane, 1,200-foot-long span over the port's main channel.

According to port officials, more than 15 percent of the nation's seaborne cargo moves over the bridge each year.

In addition to lacking adequate capacity and having insufficient height to allow the newest container vessels to pass underneath, the current bridge is deteriorating rapidly – a situation that has led to more frequent and costly repairs.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Workers Union Locals 13, 63 and 94, which provide labor for the Southern California ports, and the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, which represents roughly 90 percent of the shipping and terminal operator firms on the West Coast, lobbied the CTC to approve the bridge project.

"Replacing the bridge is critical to maintaining California’s dominant position in international trade and keeping the San Pedro Bay ports competitive with container ports throughout North America," the groups said in a joint letter to the CTC. "A new bridge will ensure that our ports can both accommodate the newer, cleaner and larger container vessels while also accommodating more clean trucks on our roads."

Long Beach Council Takes No Action on Mayor's Veto of Bridge Project Funds

The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday took no action to overturn Long Beach Mayor Robert Foster's veto of a $60 million line item in the Port of Long Beach fiscal year 2011 capital outlay budget that could delay the start of construction of the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement.

A group of four Council members added a discussion of the Mayor's veto to the agenda during a Tuesday special meeting of the Council, but after lengthy debate and public comment, the Council as a whole took no action other than to receive and file the comments rendered.

The $60 million port budget line item rejected by the Mayor was to have paid for the relocation of the port’s maintenance yard which sits in the path of the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement. The yard, which houses port maintenance staff and equipment, must be moved as a precursor to starting construction on the bridge project.

The Gerald Desmond Bridge is the major ingress and egress point for truck traffic into the port area. Trucks traversing the bridge currently carry an estimated 15 percent of the nation’s container traffic.

The bridge replacement project, being funded by a combination of federal, state and local funds, would replace the existing bridge with a new $1.1 billion structure that would have greater traffic capacity and allow the largest container vessels to access the port's terminal facilities beyond the bridge.

The current bridge opened in 1968, and despite multi-million dollar upgrades by the port, is deteriorating structurally at a rapid pace.

The port maintenance yard relocation was originally intended to be part of a much larger project that would consolidate port staff and the maintenance yard in a new port administration building. The current port administration building opened in 1959 and has been deemed seismically unfit. The Mayor has opposed the construction of a new port administration building.

The Mayor vetoed the port line-item arguing that because the yard relocation was still itemized under the new administration building project line, he could not approve it. The Mayor suggested that even though port officials have publicly said the administration project is not moving forward, the relocation of the yard was a way for the port to move forward with the administration building project.

The port maintains that the yard relocation is necessary for the bridge replacement project.

Mayor Foster said that the port can still obtain the funds by coming to the Council as soon as it wants with a port budget amendment reflecting the yard relocation under a line item not associated with the administration building project.

Because the Council must now approve the port’s funding for the yard relocation, this would appear to place the final financial approval of the initial component of the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement project in the hands of the City Council instead of the Board of Harbor Commissioners.

Mayor Vetos Long Beach Port Bridge Replacement Funds

Long Beach Mayor Robert Foster has vetoed a $60 million line item in the Port of Long Beach fiscal year 2011 budget that could delay the start of construction of the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement.

The $60 million item in the port budget was to have paid for the removal and relocation of a port maintenance yard that is located adjacent to the existing bridge. The yard removal is a necessary first step as it sits in the proposed path of the new bridge's eastern alignment.

While Foster vetoed the item, he left the door open for the port to return to the Long Beach City Council with a budget amendment to restore the funding. The port intends to move forward with this request as soon as possible.

While the port is operated by a semi-autonomous city department, the Long Beach City Council has final approval of the port budget and the mayor has line-item veto power over the council-approved version of the port budget.

The port has been attempting to replace the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge for nearly a decade. The bridge, originally opened in the late 1960s and serving as a major egress point for the Long Beach and neighboring Los Angeles port, is estimated to annually carry 15 percent of the nation's international trade.

In recent years, the bridge has become a serious choke point for port truck traffic. Despite expensive upgrades by the port, the bridge currently suffers from constrained capacity, a deteriorating structure, and an inadequate height to allow passage of the largest container vessels to the port's back channel areas.

The $1.1 billion bridge replacement project has been described as one of the most critical infrastructure projects currently on the drawing board in Southern California and a project of national importance. Funding for the entire replacement project will come from a combination of federal, state and local funds.

Appeal Filed Over SoCal Ports' Bridge Replacement Project

A pair of Southern California environmental groups have asked the Long Beach City Council to overturn and reject the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement project adopted by Port of Long Beach officials on Aug. 9.

The Coalition For A Safe Environment (CFASE) and the Long Beach Coalition For A Safe Environment (LBCFASE) filed the appeal with the City Council on Aug. 23, alleging that the $1.13 billion bridge replacement project will "seriously, negatively and irreversibly" impact the groups' members, residents and the public at large.

The appeal claims that the impacts of the project as proposed will extend to, "life, health, welfare, safety, public mobility, public transportation infrastructure, economic resources, future sustainability, quality of life, environment, global warming concerns, aquatic life, wildlife and wildlife habitats."

The two groups also allege in their appeal that the port's governing board failed to "perform due diligence in making their decision, approving the resolution, determining legal compliance, seeking expert & legal opinion, protecting the public’s interests and upholding applicable California and federal laws."

The appeal, which is unlikely to move a City Council that has expressed solid support for the project, was brought on behalf of the two groups by local environmental gadfly Jessie Marquez and the executive director of the LBCFASE, Gabrielle Weeks.

The Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement has been described as one of the port-area's most critical infrastructure needs. The new bridge will be taller, wider and safer than the current bridge, according to port officials.

The 156-foot-tall Gerald Desmond Bridge, which is named after a former City official, links the port-area Terminal Island to Long Beach proper. The 40-year-old steel and concrete structure is a main egress point for trucks into the port.

Upwards of 60,000 vehicles a day cross it's five-lane, 1,200-foot-long span over the port's main channel.

According to port officials, more than 15 percent of the nation's seaborne cargo moves over the bridge each year.

In addition to lacking adequate capacity and having insufficient height to allow the newest container vessels to pass underneath, the current bridge is deteriorating rapidly leading to more frequent and costly repair costs.

Of the total $1.13 billion in estimated costs for the replacement project, about $900 million from various sources have been earmarked, including: about $570 million from federal sources, $250 million in state funding, $29 million from Los Angeles County sources, and $55 million from port funds. According to port documents, just under $200 million in federal funds have yet to be identified.

Barring any legal actions against the project, preliminary work on the new bridge could begin within a few months, though an actual ground breaking on construction could be more than a year away. Construction is expected to take at least six years.

Long Beach Port Readies Push for New Bridge

The Port of Long Beach is set to announce this week a new push to replace the nearly 45-year-old Gerald Desmond Bridge, a major ingress/egress choke-point to many of the port's busiest container facilities.

The new proposal is expected to unveil a $1.1 billion cable-stayed replacement for the aging bridge, a design similar to one proposed nearly five years ago when the port last launched a serious replacement effort. That effort, with a then-estimated cost of about $850 million, failed to raise the necessary government funds to get the project out of the early design stages. 

Port of Long Beach officials now claim to have raised about half of the needed funds to complete the new $1.1 billion bridge and have said they will seek the remaining funds from local, state and federal sources.

The port's first major study to replace the bridge, conducted in the late 1990s, estimated that a replacement would have cost $350 million at that time. 

According to port officials, the current four-lane bridge, which handles on average more than 17,000 trucks and 50,000 automobiles each day, is too narrow to handle the projected future volume of truck traffic from the Long Beach port and east-bound traffic from the neighboring Los Angeles port.

The current bridge is also too low to allow the largest of container vessels to transit under the structure to back channel port facilities.

The new bridge design is expected to be 45 feet higher than the current bridge and feature six traffic lanes with an emergency lane in each direction.

An additional concern is that the steel and concrete bridge, originally designed for a 30 to 40 year life span, is not holding up well – consistently ranking in the bottom of the state's bridge inspection lists. In recent years the underside of the bridge's road deck began spalling such large pieces of concrete that the port was forced to place a giant net--known by many in the port as "the diaper"--to prevent damage and injury to people and vehicles underneath. 

Once completed, the new bridge is expected to be turned over to the California Department of Transportation and become part of the state highway system.