LBPOST.com: Facelift Coming For Gerald Desmond Bridge?

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Facelift Coming For Gerald Desmond Bridge?

by Ryan ZumMallen | Long Beach News | 02.01.10 |

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3:45pm | The Port of Long Beach plans to move forward with a renovation for the aging bridge that will improve traffic flow and create emergency lanes, among other benefits. An Environmental Impact Review will likely be submitted within the next week to allow for public comment.

The project is expected to cost $1.1 billion and provide about 4,000 jobs for five years of construction. It would create an emergency lane to improve traffic flow and increased clearance height would allow access for the new generation of super-sized cargo ships.

The renovation would also be a structural improvement. The current bridge has been deteriorating for years and is notorious for the netting that hangs underneath, known as a "diaper" because it catches pieces of concrete that crumble from the bridge as traffic passes overhead.

Port executive director Richard Steinke addressed the plans in his annual State of the Port address last week.

"More than 40 years old, this obsolete bridge was designed at a time when no one could have imagined the growth in world trade, much less the major role that the Port of Long Beach plays in that international exchange of goods," Steinke said. "It must be replaced."

Below are images of the proposed design, provided by the Port of Long Beach.

Below are photos of the current bridge, also provided by the Port of Long Beach.

Comments

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14 Comments so far.

E. Thor Carlson
Hay, here's a thought. Let's get world renounced architect, sculptor, and structural engineer Santiago Calatrava to design our new bridge. Long Beach deserves a world class bridge that will be an icon; not some hacked, mediocre, third rate knock off by a design committee. We call ourselves an International City, now let's act like it.

CHARLIE
WOW!

reason
If you can come up with the 1.1 billion to have a theory then that sounds like a plan. If not then shut up.

Dave in Alamitos Beach
It doesn't look any wider, only taller. I hope they've planned for the next 100 years of shipping "improvements." Oh, and does anyone know how 1.1 billion to put up this bridge compares with how much it will cost to tear down the breakwater?

lbresident
Exactly Dave. The port has more than enough money to come up with $30M or so to give back our beach after they took it with pier j expansion.

Ryan P
I like how they make the water look so clean on the CGI images. LB's water hasn't been that clean since the POrt was built! The Port is an eyesore that uins our ocean and waters, but we can't get rid of it because people need their junk from Wal Mart!

lbresident
Ryan, you're correct. We can't get rid of the port. but we can reconfigure the breakwater and make meaningful improvements. The port should pay for it since they caused the problem.

Ryan P
lbresident, I agree! THe port is the most productive in the USA, if I am remembering correctly. Surely they can spend a little cash to help the city that lets them get away with anyting they want!

Brian U
Exactly right Thor. A bridge by Calatrava would be an icon for the city. A perfect union of art and engineering

cwatson
Agree with Thor and Brian...if you are going to spend this kind of money, make this a forward-thinking symbol/icon of the future...Calatrava would be anyone's first choice! Who knows status of design firm/engineering and architectural decisions? Who gets to decide on the designer/architect of the bridge? Why not shoot for the best?

mikebh
how about a bike lane and a park at the base of the bridge?

Pat
I agree, we need a world class bridge that betters the Golden Gate Bridge!

Leland F. Leland
Our the competition for the bridge design MUST include international design firms; check out what they are doing with the Peace River Bridge over Niagara River in Buffalo, NY. A number of unbelievably beautiful bridge designs were submitted....LB deserves nothing but a world class bridge design, we need to start the push, and start it now!

Federalist
Thor... Santiago Calatrava can design some odd and "inspirational" pedestrian bridges, but his ability to create awe inspiring designs grinds to a hault when you have dead and live loads that exceed a couple hundred pounds per foot i.e you have to run a car over his design. I'd rather see a strong landmark of engineering with tall towers, cable stays and belvederes rather than some artsy design with geometric angles, that he had to cook the numbers to make it appear viable long term under extreme live loads. Let Calatrava design his little walk bridges with their sharp angles and let strong engineering firms handle the landmark strength of Gerald Desmond.

Long Beach News

LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.

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