Port of Long Beach Gerald Desmond Bridge

Port of Long Beach Gerald Desmond Bridge
Name	Gerald Desmond Bridge (former)
Location	Long Beach, California, United States
Crosses	Port of Long Beach shipping channels
Coordinates	33.7625°N 118.2017°W
Opened	1968
Closed	2016–2019 (phased replacement)
Designer	California Division of Highways; Ash-Feinberg collaboration
Type	Suspension bridge (original); cable-stayed (replacement project)
Length	5,968 feet (approx.)
Mainspan	1,508 feet (approx.)
Material	steel and concrete
Owner	Port of Long Beach; City of Long Beach; California Department of Transportation

Port of Long Beach Gerald Desmond Bridge is a major vehicular crossing that served the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California and connected the Terminal Island/San Pedro Bay industrial waterfront with the urban freeway network of Interstate 710 and State Route 47. Originally opened in 1968 as a steel-box girder suspension-style span, the bridge carried commercial truck traffic, commuters, and port-related logistics until a phased replacement in the 2010s addressed seismic, clearance, and capacity constraints. The structure has been central to California freight mobility, regional planning discussions involving the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and infrastructure initiatives linked to the I-710 corridor and Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach competitiveness.

Overview and Location

The bridge spanned the main navigational channel of the Port of Long Beach adjacent to San Pedro Bay and provided a direct route between downtown Long Beach, California and Terminal Island, facilitating access to terminals operated by APL, Matson, Inc., and international shipping lines such as Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company. Its proximity to the Long Beach Airport and integration with feeder routes toward the I-710 (California), SR 47 (California), and I-405 placed it within the Southern California goods movement network overseen by entities including the California Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

History and Planning

Planning for a high-level crossing began amid postwar port expansion when agencies such as the Port of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners and the California Division of Highways sought to replace ferry and low-level lift crossings that impeded increasingly large Panamax and later Post-Panamax vessels. Named for Gerald Desmond, a Long Beach municipal official and former City Attorney (Long Beach) and advocate for port development, the original span opened in 1968 to accommodate rising containerization driven by companies like Sea-Land Service and policy shifts following the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 and later maritime regulatory changes. Over subsequent decades, strategic freight studies by the Southern California Association of Governments and environmental reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act documented congestion and seismic vulnerability, catalyzing replacement discussions.

Design and Construction

The 1968 structure employed a steel-box girder and suspension-like profile designed by state engineers in concert with private contractors, incorporating concrete approaches and long center spans to clear the channel for vessels associated with Evergreen Marine, Hanjin Shipping, and other carriers. As ship sizes increased after the advent of containership classes like New-Panamax and port terminals adopted high-capacity gantry cranes, the bridge’s vertical clearance and lane geometry became operational constraints. The replacement initiative adopted a cable-stayed design, influenced by examples such as the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement and international precedents including the Millau Viaduct and Russky Bridge, to provide greater vertical clearance, seismic resilience, and an extended main span using steel pylons and stay cables.

Replacement Project (Long Beach International Gateway)

Known as the Long Beach International Gateway, the replacement project was a multi-agency effort involving the Port of Long Beach, Caltrans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (for navigational permitting), and financing partners including the U.S. Department of Transportation and state transportation programs. The new cable-stayed bridge increased vertical clearance to accommodate Neo-Panamax vessels frequenting nearby terminals, added dedicated truck lanes to connect to the I-710 freight corridor, and incorporated design elements consistent with seismic standards influenced by events such as the Northridge earthquake. Construction contractors and engineering firms engaged followed practices highlighted in publications by the American Society of Civil Engineers and coordinated mitigation with the California Coastal Commission and the California State Lands Commission.

Operations and Impact on Port Traffic

Operationally, the bridge has influenced container throughput at terminals such as Pier J, Pier T, and Middle Harbor by improving truck turnaround times and reducing bottlenecks on radial routes to the Interstate 405 and Interstate 5. Freight studies by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and the Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission attribute part of the ports’ ability to handle larger vessel calls to upgraded vertical and lane capacity. The project also interfaced with local freight initiatives including drayage truck modernization programs administered with stakeholders like the South Coast Air Quality Management District and regional rail freight connections via BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.

Safety, Maintenance, and Incidents

Safety reviews prior to replacement noted fatigue concerns, seismic retrofit limitations, and incidents involving over-height vessels and truck collisions documented by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and port security partners, including U.S. Coast Guard responses to channel events. The replacement incorporated modern inspection access, corrosion protection systems advocated by the National Steel Bridge Alliance, and emergency response coordination with agencies such as the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Long Beach Police Department.

Cultural Significance and Recognition

Beyond transportation, the crossing served as a visual landmark in Long Beach civic identity and featured in community events tied to the port’s maritime heritage, including collaborations with the Long Beach Museum of Art and the Queen Mary waterfront attractions. Recognition of the project’s engineering and urban design merits involved notices from the American Council of Engineering Companies and discussions in regional planning forums hosted by the University of Southern California and the California State University, Long Beach.

Category:Bridges in Los Angeles County, California Category:Transport in Long Beach, California