2:54pm | The eastbound Gerald Desmond Bridge will be closed on Friday morning from 8 – 9:30 a.m., Long Beach police announced earlier today.
Drivers are being urged to avoid the route during that time frame. While traffic will be detoured, commuters who do attempt to head east on the bridge at that time will likely face delays.
The closure is due to a scheduled mass bicycle ride memorializing the late Mark Bixby, a passionate bicycling advocate and Long Beach native who was killed in a plane crash at Long Beach Airport last week.
The bike ride will memorialize Bixby prior to his funeral services, which are slated for tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. at the U.S. Sailing Center. The ride will begin at the sailing center at 8 a.m. and will go to the Gerald Desmond Bridge and back.
A member of Long Beach Cyclists, Bixby’s accomplishments include coordination and promotion of many rides and cycling events. He was the founding director of the annual Long Beach Bicycle Festival and was most recently an integral part of the planning to include bike access in the design of the new Gerald Desmond Bridge.