Construction on the Vincent Thomas Bridge near the Port of Los Angeles is expected to begin next month, but the project will not include a 26-foot bridge winch that port officials had hoped for.
Port Executive Director Gene Seroka proposed raising the bridge earlier this year, amid existing plans by the California Department of Transportation to remake the emerald green bridge connecting San Pedro to Terminal Island and Long Beach.
Raising the bridge would allow larger, more efficient ships to travel underneath to transport cargo. About 40 percent of the port’s cargo capacity is beyond the bridge, which stands 185 feet high.
The California State Transportation Agency, the departmental agency that oversees Caltrans, rejected the suggestion last month, saying bridge replacement should begin as soon as possible.
“The Vincent Thomas Bridge will undergo a much-needed overhaul project… beginning in January 2026 and concluding before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement.
The agency “welcomes continued discussions on the path forward as we work to ensure the bridge is structurally sound and safe for the motoring public.”
Bridge repair projects are expected to cost more than $700 million and will require the bridge to be closed to the public for 16 months. The port’s proposal to raise the bridge would have added $1.5 billion in costs and forced the bridge to close for more than two years.
The 60-year-old bridge is a local symbol for surrounding communities and supports tourism in the port area. It also provides a key artery for freight trucks traveling to and from the port.
Preliminary detour routes for the bridge closure would send commuters, tourists and freight via Harry Bridges Boulevard in Wilmington and onto the 110 and 405 freeways.
The San Pedro Chamber of Commerce voted this summer in favor of a study on the effects of raising the bridge. Los Angeles City Council member Tim McOsker, who represents communities adjacent to the port, including Wilmington, Harbor City and San Pedro, said he supports raising the bridge as long as it is safe and takes into account the needs of residents.
Seroka has not given up on a solution to help welcome the next generation of cargo ships to the Port of Los Angeles.
“All parties recognize the benefits of additional relief to jobs and the long-term economic vitality of the Port of Los Angeles and California,” Seroka said in a statement.
“While we hoped to be able to include a bridge raising component in Caltrans’ ongoing critical maintenance project, we are encouraged by the administration’s strong support to quickly explore additional projects,” he said.
Future projects could include raising the bridge once the deck replacement is completed, or building a new bridge, Seroka said.
The port director had initially suggested raising the bridge by placing bag lifts and platforms on the bridge legs. The Bayonne Bridge connecting Staten Island, New York, and Bayonne, NJ, was similarly raised in 2019.
