Photo courtesy of the Port of Long Beach.
The anticipated new Gerald Desmond Bridge will break ground next Tuesday, officially marking construction on a project which has been on the books since 2000.
The $1 billion project—$645.5 million dedicated to the bridge structure itself, with the other monies used for site preparation, demolition and other considerations—is a joint effort of the California Department of Transportation and the Port of Long Beach with funding also from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Construction is expected to generate $2 billion in regional economic activity.
The five-year building period will occur adjacent to the old bridge in an effort to not only improve traffic flow for the port’s complex but also commuters in Downtown Long Beach. It will include a total of six lanes, three in each direction, along with designated bicycling/pedestrian paths and lookout points. On Tuesday, two helicopters will hover at 500 feet to demonstrate the significant height of the future twin-tower supports.