Motorists, plan ahead—as in for the next two-and-half years—as the 710 connector to westbound Ocean Boulevard in Downtown Long Beach will be closed for 30 months beginning Saturday, May 10. The connector will be demolished and rebuilt as part of the larger Gerald Desmond Bridge project.

SB710 detour map final

“We have spent the past several months preparing for this closure and have made key improvements to ensure a smooth flow of traffic along the detour route,” said John Pope, Port of Long Beach Community Relations Manager, in a statement. “However, we recognize that closing this connector may cause some impacts, and we encourage motorists to use alternate routes if they have the option.”

Those alternatives vary:

  • Southbound traffic heading to Terminal Island will be diverted onto southbound Pico Avenue, then onto an adjoining ramp that reconnects with Ocean in order to cross Gerald Desmond.
  • Trucks and other vehicles whose destination is beyond the Port of Long Beach are being asked to consider using the 110 Freeway, Route 47, or other alternate routes to avoid the surface street detour.

To help with the flow of traffic at Pico Avenue, two “free” right-turn lanes as well as a third southbound lane will be created at Pico. Additionally, the four-way stop at Pico and Pier D Street will be replaced with a traffic signal.

In addition to the closure of the connector, southbound Harbor Scenic Drive will close on Friday, May 23, at 5PM and reopen on Tuesday, May 27 at 6AM. To access these areas during the Memorial Day weekend, the Port states that the “detour route is the southbound I-710 Freeway onto southbound Pico Avenue to Harbor Plaza West. However, Long Beach visitors heading via the southbound I-710 to the Queen Mary, cruise terminal, and hotels are encouraged to use the Downtown Long Beach exit and Shoreline Drive.”

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