Road Closures Expected in Long Beach

By Karen Robes Meeks

Drivers using Port of Long Beach adjacent roads to get to and from the Queen Mary, Carnival Cruise terminal and downtown Long Beach should anticipate several road closures and temporary detours from July 4–7, according to the port.

The closures are required so an overpass related to the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement project can be demolished. Affected routes include southbound Harbor Scenic Drive, eastbound Ocean Boulevard and westbound Ocean Boulevard toward San Pedro.

Here are the following detours:

• If you are taking the 710 South for the 4th of July fireworks show at the Queen Mary, take the Port of Long Beach/Queen Mary exit and follow the detour signs.

• From July 5–7, take the Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium exit, then to Shoreline Drive. From Shoreline, turn right onto Queens Way and follow the signs to the Queen Mary.

• Going east on Ocean from Terminal Island to the Queen Mary? Exit the Pico Avenue south off-ramp, turn right, head down Pico Avenue until a left turn on-ramp onto South Harbor Scenic Drive, then follow signs to the Queen Mary.

• Going to downtown Long Beach from eastbound Ocean? Turn left at the Pico/710 north off-ramp, go north, turn right onto 9th Street, continue onto 10th Street, then take the downtown on-ramp onto Shoreline Drive. Alternatively, keep going north via Pico, turn left onto the I-710 on-ramp at 9th Street, then go up Anaheim Street and make a right turn.

• Going west on Ocean toward San Pedro? You will be detoured north onto Golden Shore, linking you to the 710 Freeway going north. If heading to Terminal Island and San Pedro, exit at Anaheim Street and follow “Port of Long Beach” signs to make a left on Pico. Drivers can get back on westbound Ocean after about one-quarter mile.

Meanwhile, northbound Harbor Scenic Drive will remain open.

Visit www.newgdbridge.com, or download the “LBBridge” app for more details.

Construction Begins on Desmond Bridge Replacement

Construction has begun on the $1 billion bridge that’s expected to replace the aging, seismically deficient Gerald Desmond Bridge, which traverses the Port of Long Beach and Terminal Island.

In the early morning hours of July 13, crews began demolishing the final sections of a U-shaped freeway off-ramp west of the existing four lane Gerald Desmond Bridge in order to clear the path for the first sections of the new six-lane bridge.

The port says it’s counting on the bridge to dramatically improve an important commuter and trucking corridor at the Port of Long Beach. The existing bridge height, 155 feet, restricts newer, larger ships from reaching piers within the inner channels, but the bridge will raise the clearance over the port’s inner harbor channel to 205 feet, giving it the tallest span height for a cable-stayed bridge in the U.S.

“As more big ships enter the Pacific trade routes, the Port of Long Beach must be fully capable to handle these larger vessels with optimum efficiency,” port spokesman John Pope said. “This new bridge will improve critical infrastructure that will help keep Long Beach competitive.”

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 Desmond Bridge, which has been declared obsolete; when the Desmond Bridge opened in 1968, cargo ships were about one-sixth the size of what enters the harbor today.

The $800 million project is a joint effort of the Port of Long Beach and the California Department of Transportation, with funding contributions from the US Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Construction updates, traffic information and other details about the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project can be found at www.newgdbridge.com.