The Vincent Thomas Bridge in Long Beach will be renovated, according to the California Department of Transportation. To replace the road decking on the 60-year-old bridge, Caltrans plans to spend around $706 million. This includes $629 million for construction.
The project is expected to start construction in 2025 and be completed in 2027. It is currently the subject of the agency’s initial public comment sessions.
History of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in California
The Vincent Thomas Bridge (named for the state Assemblyman who spearheaded the bridge project) was the first welded suspension bridge in the country when it opened in 1963. This was after nearly 20 years of preparation and false starts. Prior to then, the only means of transportation between the cargo docks on Terminal Island and the houses and businesses for the dockworkers in San Pedro was by boat.
The bridge spanning the main channel at the Port of Los Angeles now has a 1,500-foot main span. This makes it the fourth-longest suspension bridge in the state. Additionally, data from Caltrans shows the road on top of the bridge deck has two lanes each way.
The Vincent Thomas Bridge carries, on average, 53,000 vehicles per day, including approximately 4,700 heavy-duty trucks. The damage caused by all those vehicles is evident in images of the bridge that were released by Caltrans. They show fissures in the concrete decking and debris that suggest some of the deckings have entirely fallen away.
Plans for the implementation of the overhaul project
Commuters in the vicinity, dockworkers, and other port and shipping line staff will have a very tough time if the decking for such a crucial transit artery is torn up and then replaced. That’s why Caltrans has proposed three alternatives for construction.
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The first option is a  full closure for up to a year with construction work proceeding on a 24/7 basis. The second option is a partial closure for up to 30 months of three of the four lanes during nighttime hours and extended weekend closures. Third was a partial closure of up to three years of one lane in each direction during nighttime hours and extended weekend closures.
