The Port of Long Beach has celebrated a major milestone in the construction of the new Gerald Desmond Bridge. Construction teams have topped off two 515-foot towers, which will serve as the centerpiece of the new bridge. The new bridge will be cable-stayed and the towers are the largest structures in Long Beach. Construction project began three years ago and completion is scheduled for 2019.

“This was a three-year process, starting with the construction of the foundations for the towers,” Denis Wolcott of the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project tells GlobeSt.com “With the towers topped-out, the next step is to run the cables that will suspend the main span up through the openings at the top of each tower.”

The new bridge is going to be a major improvement for transportation at the Port of Long Beach and will improve traffic for local residents as well. “The new bridge will provide both a taller span that will allow the newest generation of ships to reach our inner harbor berths, and will also include three lanes in both directions as well as emergency lanes,” says Wolcott In short, it significantly advances our cargo movement both on the water and on the road. The new bridge will also feature improved transitions into and out of key areas of the port. These will ensure continued efficient movement of cargo in and out of the port.”

In addition to the towers, the team has also completed the westbound lanes and is under construction of the eastbound lanes. “We are on schedule. The next steps will include the building of the bridge's center span, which is the cable-stayed portion, as well as construction of the eastbound lanes,” says Wolcott. “We recently pour the final section of the westbound lanes.”

The topping off event hosted 100 local officials and leaders, and the response to the new towers and the construction milestone was overwhelmingly positive. “The community, our building partners and officials representing many local, state and federal offices and agencies were very happy to be a part of this milestone,” Wolcott explains. “What was interesting to see was how many groups of people wanted to have their picture taken in front of our topping-out banners, which had a large “515” number signifying the height of our towers and a listing of the many building trades involved in this project.”

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New Port Bridge Moves Closer to Completion

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