Earlier reports had studied and discarded various alternatives, including an alternative alignment with a new bridge south of the existing bridge, rehabilitation of the existing bridge, and a tunnel instead of an elevated bridge. Long Beach prepares to open a $1.47-billion bridge - … Report a correction or typo Watch this virtual drive over the bridge. City News Service contributed to this report. PO Box 13193 Oakland, CA 94661 • (510) 255-1523 • www.cpmlogistics.net • information@cpmlogistics.net License #: 999551 The Bridge Project opened to traffic on Monday, Oct. 5. [15], The 1968 steel arch bridge developed numerous issues (detailed above), and the Port of Long Beach suggested it would be more economical to replace the bridge. The western terminus of the bridge is on the east side of Terminal Island; the eastern terminus is close to downtown Long Beach. [11], In March 2012, the insufficient vertical clearance of the bridge prevented passage of the 12,562 TEU MSC Fabiola, the largest container ship ever to enter the Port of Long Beach. The bridge lighting system features 192 energy-efficient LED lights across the main span. Pre-Bid Mtg Date: 02/22/2021 – 4:00 PM. (Photo from 2019) #TBT. The bridge is named after Gerald Desmond, a prominent civic leader and a former city attorney for the City of Long Beach, and replaces an earlier bridge completed in 1968 with the same namesake. The $1.47 billion, nearly two-mile bridge project also includes the eventual demolition of the existing Gerald Desmond Bridge. The Bridge is expected to become an icon for the City of … The Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement is the only cable-stayed bridge of its size on the west coast of the United States. By some estimates, truck traffic across the bridge tripled in the years following the closure of the Long Beach NSY. The Gerald Desmond Bridge is a major access point to the Port of Long Beach from downtown Long Beach, California and surrounding communities, carrying I-710 over the Port's Inner Harbor to Terminal Island. Check out the new bridge's lighting system nightly. Gerald Desmond Bridge The new bridge offers several improvements, including three lanes in each direction with wide shoulders for improved traffic flow. #TriviaTuesday. The height restriction prevented the ship from docking at the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) dock; it docked at the Hanjin terminal instead. For all of the recent Bridge Project news and events. [9] In addition, the bridge was not designed for the traffic it carried (62,000 vehicles daily in 2012), and the added stress was causing pieces of concrete to fall from the bridge's underside, forcing the Port of Long Beach to install nylon mesh "diapers" in 2004 to catch these chunks. Gerald Desmond Bridge may refer to: Gerald Desmond Bridge (1968–2020), a former bridge spanning the Back Channel in Long Beach, California; Gerald Desmond Bridge (2020–present), the replacement for the 1968 bridge This page was last edited on 25 November 2020, at 20:45 (UTC). The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge was a through arch bridge that carried five lanes of Ocean Boulevard from Interstate 710 in Long Beach, California, west across the Back Channel to Terminal Island. The bridge is named after Gerald Desmond, a prominent civic leader and a former city attorney for the City of Long Beach. Depending on the level of the tide, road traffic had to descend 17 to 25 feet (5.2 to 7.6 m) below the level on the shore. "Bridge is afloat on the pages of history", "Son of a Bridge, If It Isn't Gerald Desmond", "Seismic Work Will Force Weekend Closure of Desmond Bridge on Terminal Island", "Terminal Island Cargo Has Outgrown Old Bridge", "Long Beach bridge at the end of its lifespan", "Overpasses, Bridge Work Proposed in Harbor Area", "Bridge poses a tight squeeze for cargo ships", "Plan to replace bridge at Port of Long Beach progresses", Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project: Final Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Assessment & Application Summary Report, "LA., Long Beach ports losing to rivals amid struggle with giant ships", "Long Beach prepares for Pacific ultra-large boxship switch", "Supplemental funds allocation for Gerald Desmond Bridge design-build project resolution FA-16-07", "Innovative System Ensures Vertical Alignment of Gerald Desmond Bridge", "Ocean Blvd over Water St, Channel, UP RR", Port Of Long Beach GD bridge replacement page, GD bridge replacement project at shimmick.com (contractor), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerald_Desmond_Bridge_(1968–2020)&oldid=1014278408, Through arch bridges in the United States, Bridges in Los Angeles County, California, Buildings and structures in Long Beach, California, Tourist attractions in Long Beach, California, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Pages using infobox bridge with unknown parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 March 2021, at 04:54. Select any date and time to see what happened on the construction site that day. Although the Gerald Desmond Bridge was an icon of Long Beach since it was built in 1960, it was no longer able to sustain the heavy traffic. [8] Studies to widen the bridge were funded in 1987. The new bridge is 205 feet above the channel, and able to accommodate larger ships—50 feet higher than the Gerald Desmond Bridge. [13] The new bridge will allow access to the port for the tallest container ships, and will be the first long-span cable-stayed bridge in California, and the first and only cable-stayed bridge in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This video shows a car drive up the westbound decline over the main span then down the westbound incline. The new Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach, California, will carry six lanes of traffic from I-710 across the Back Channel to Terminal Island and the Port of Long Beach, one of the world’s busiest shipping ports. [16] For the bridge to be so tall, long approaches will be required to allow trucks to cross. In Long Beach history, the Gerald Desmond Bridge is not the only structure to have stretched across the Back Channel. Pre-Bid Mtg: Yes – Non-Mandatory. The bridge was named after Gerald Desmond, a prominent civic leader and a former city attorney for the City of Long Beach. [1][2], The 1968 through-arch bridge was designed by Moffatt & Nichol[3] Engineers and was constructed by Bethlehem Steel[4] as a replacement for the World War II-era pontoon bridge. [14] Port officials estimated that 10% of all waterborne cargo in the United States passed over the Desmond Bridge (either going to or coming from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles) in 2004,[8] raising the estimate to 15% by 2010. The bridge connects Terminal Island – the heart of the port complex – with the … HNTB originally was hired by the Port of Long Beach to study and develop alternatives leading to the first vehicular cable-stayed bridge in California. The first was a single railroad track built by Salt Lake Railway. GERALD DESMOND BRIDGE DEMOLITION. Desmond's son, also named Gerald, sank the final "golden" bolt.[6]. The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project is a “design-build” project that combines project design and construction into one contract, as opposed to the standard process done in three stages: design, bid, build. Image courtesy of Kunstmatrix Desmond died in office at age 48 of kidney cancer. The first scene of the film features the actual dedication ceremony for the bridge, which is interrupted by the Monkees running into the middle of the ceremony and Micky Dolenz jumping off the bridge. Check out that fiery sunset captured with the bridge towering over Long Beach! The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project is the only cable-stayed bridge of its size on the highly seismic west coast of the United States. Take a Virtual Tour to the Top of the Towers. At the dedication of the $19-million Gerald Desmond Bridge on June 7, 1968, then-Mayor Edwin Wade praised Desmond for “fighting the city’s battle to retain its share of tidelands oil funds.” The bridge is also a critical access route for commuters between the Port of Long Beach, downtown Long Beach and surrounding communities. [8] By 2010, the 155-foot (47 m) vertical clearance of the 1968 bridge was one of the lowest for a commercial seaport, especially at the Port of Long Beach, which remains one of the busiest container ports in the United States. Gerald Desmond Bridge Shimmick served as lead JV partner for the design and construction of a new, six-lane, 2,000-foot-long main span and back span cable-stayed bridge at the Port of Long Beach. Biden was joined by Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero and other officials. Flyover, Clean Truck Procession, Boat Parade to Celebrate Milestone. It has a 527-foot-long (161 m) suspended main span and a 155-foot (47 m) vertical clearance spanning the Cerritos Channel. Elysian Freeway Bridge, based on the 1968 arch bridge, is also featured in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V. It carries the Elysian Fields Freeway in-game. The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge was a through arch bridge that carried five lanes of Ocean Boulevard from Interstate 710 in Long Beach, California, west across the Back Channel to Terminal Island. [13], The 1944 pontoon bridge was featured in a chase scene appearing in the 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.[1][18]. This design for the Gerald Desmond Bridge created a unique opportunity to create a monumental gateway that is sensitive to the contextual surroundings and the Green Port of Long Beach’s future legacy.   gerald desmond bridge long beach, california. When the Long Beach NSY was closed in 1997, that land was converted and served as home to one of the busiest container terminals in the United States, resulting in greater cargo truck and marine traffic. [1] An estimated seven people died after driving off the pontoon bridge. Bid Date: 04/27/2021 – 2:00 PM. This restrictive vertical clearance was cited as a factor in an observed drop in the Port of Long Beach's share of United States container imports. It spanned the Cerritos Channel in … When marine traffic required the bridge to open, traffic delays of up to 15 minutes could occur. The Gerald Desmond Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that carries six lanes of Interstate 710 in Long Beach, California, west across the Back Channel to Terminal Island. The old Gerald Desmond Bridge, which was completed in 1968, was 1.5 miles long with two lanes in each direction. The bridge separates the inner harbor (north of the bridge) of the Port of Long Beach from the middle harbor. The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project is a “design-build” project. The $1.47 billion, nearly two-mile bridge project also includes the eventual demolition of the existing Gerald Desmond Bridge. We’ve captured thousands of photos and dozens of videos throughout the last eight years. The pontoon bridge was intended to last six months, but was not replaced until 1968, 24 years after it had opened. A … Challenging ground conditions meant a design rethink - and some engineering firsts - for California’s Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project* The Port of Long Beach on Terminal Island south of Los Angeles is the second-busiest container port in the US. The Gerald Desmond Replacement Bridge is ready for traffic. By 1908, a bascule drawbridge replaced it. #1 Gerald Desmond Bridge Bridge Updated: 2020-04-08 The Gerald Desmond Bridge is a through arch bridge that carries four lanes of Ocean Boulevard from Interstate 710 in Long Beach, California, west across the Back Channel to Terminal Island. - The Gerald Desmond Bridge is an iconic landmark in the city of Long Beach. Website by Design on Target. This new bridge is around 610m in length, with a main span of around 305m and features two towers that are each 157m-high, making it the second-tallest cable-stayed bridge in the US and the first such bridge for vehicles in California. Choose your favorite image and share via email, Facebook and Twitter. The bridge was retrofitted with vibration isolators and additional foundation work (widening footings and adding pilings) was performed to upgrade the seismic resistance from 1996–97 prior to the transfer of ownership from the Port of Long Beach to Caltrans. Post ID: 79959 Entered: 01/19/2021 Updated: 03/25/2021 s-Los Angeles Project Information. Min: $ 34700000. The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project provides a critical upgrade to a vital hub in the United States’ trade system. The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge spans the Back Channel, connecting Long Beach with Terminal Island. According to U.S. census data, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles handled 32% of U.S. container imports in 2013, down from 39% in 2002. After several years of studies, a cable-stayed bridge with 205 feet (62 m) of vertical clearance to be built north of the existing bridge was identified as the preferred alternative in the final environmental impact report (2010 FEIR). The Gerald Desmond Bridge is the second-tallest cable-stayed bridge in the U.S. and the first such bridge for vehicles in California. The Gerald Desmond Bridge became a barrier for large ships entering the Inner Harbor at Long Beach, with its restrictive 155-foot (47 m) vertical clearance. The new Gerald Desmond bridge is going to be magnificent and will likely be featured as an iconic neighbor the Vincent Thomas bridge just to the north. Frequently Asked Questions | Contact Us | Privacy Policy© 2021 All rights reserved. Engineer’s Est. [7], At the time of its completion in 1968, traffic was projected to be modest and mainly limited to workers commuting to jobs at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. This view is from a small, temporary platform about 515 feet in the air. A fine art exhibit documenting the Bridge Project is opening at Long Beach Creative Group Gallery. Meet the Bridge Builders Video Series Ep …, Bridge Project Art Show Moves to Long Be …, Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project. Through our free mobile app you can get up-to-the-minute road conditions, photos, videos, access to live cameras, and traffic alerts available as push notifications and in English and Spanish audio. It handles around 15% of all imported goods, much of it with Asia. [6] One year after Desmond's death in January 1964, groundbreaking for the construction of the new bridge occurred on October 19, 1965, and it was completed in June 1968. The deck’s 205-foot vertical clearance exceeds the clearance of the previous four-lane bridge by 50 feet. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The new Gerald Desmond cable-stayed bridge, 610 m long with a main span of approximately 300 m and access viaducts approximately 2 km long, is a real strategic hub for city and port connections. Stay up-to-date on the Gerald Desmond Bridge with views from this construction camera and interactive archive calendar. The new Gerald Desmond Bridge, with twin 515-foot towers, will accommodate ever-taller container ships and thousands of cars a day. The reconstructed bridge is about to open and it will look a lot different than before. At the conclusion of the film, the Monkees return to the bridge and each of them jumps from it. Biden visited the as part of a two-day visit to Southern California. The Gerald Desmond Bridge is a major commuting route for the region and a major trade corridor, carrying 15-percent of all containerized cargo imported to the United States. Prior to 1944, the only road access to Terminal Island was via Badger Avenue (later Henry Ford Avenue, after an assembly plant that was built on the island) over the Henry Ford Bridge. This method combines project design and construction into one contract, as opposed to the standard process done in three stages: design, bid, build. Find details in our Weekly Update: https://bit.ly/3w2sc9z. [5] Gerald Desmond served as City Attorney for Long Beach and played a significant role in obtaining tideland oil funds which helped finance the bridge that would later bear his name. Check out our photo library at: https://bit.ly/3r8EdH6 and our video library at: https://bit.ly/391uZpK. Thanks to Instagram user scottjprusko for today’s #FanPhotoFeature. The first bridge linking the eastern end of Terminal Island and Long Beach was an unnamed "temporary" pontoon bridge constructed during World War II to accommodate traffic resulting from the expansion of the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. [12] Other deficiencies cited include the steep approach grades (5.5 percent on the west side and 6 percent on the east side)[13], Competition in the marine shipping industry meant shipping companies were interested in boosting operating efficiency, mainly by building ever-larger container ships. Share a memory with us below! Gerald Desmond Bridge Posted May 21, 2020, by D Chesterman (chestermand [at] yahoo [dot] com) First this is an outstanding site I use often so no disrespect but I believe the span data for this bridge is actually the length of the entire truss/arch. [11], Also, since the 1968 bridge roadway lacks emergency/breakdown lanes, multiple lanes would be shut down in the event of an accident, snarling traffic. The bridge was named after Gerald Desmond, a prominent civic leader and a former city attorney for the City of Long Beach. View the pieces online: https://bit.ly/3sqmsVa, and check out stories of the artists featured: https://bit.ly/3rrd0iX. 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