Vincent Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbor to close for 16 months
The Vincent Thomas Bridge, a crucial traffic artery that provides connectivity between Los Angeles and its shipping centers, will close for over a year for critical deck replacements, Caltrans announced this week.
The bridge will undergo a 16-month construction project to replace the bridge’s aging and deteriorating deck beginning in “late 2025 or early 2026.”
The Vincent Thomas Bridge connects San Pedro with Long Beach as part of Highway 47 and is one of the busiest bridges in California. The bridge has been in service for 60 years, but its concrete deck is “rapidly” deteriorating due to the number of heavy vehicles that use it daily and the marine environment it crosses.
The deck replacement will ensure that Los Angeles’ official “welcoming monument” remains structurally sound for continued use, Caltrans said.
When work begins, the bridge will be shut down entirely to allow for a single-stage construction project to replace the bridge deck and its seismic sensors.
Earlier this year, Caltrans asked for public input for how best to go about the closure, including whether to keep some lanes open while construction took place.
Ultimately, after the 90-day comment period ended, Caltrans decided the best course of action would be to close the bridge entirely to allow for complete, unimpeded work to begin.
Other options included partial closures and overnight closures of the bridge, each of which would’ve extended the project timeline from 16 months to anywhere between two to four years.
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The decision to close the bridge was the preferred option, officials said, following technical and environmental studies.
“The department’s selection of the single-stage option allows for the shortest construction time, is the safest construction alternative, most cost-efficient alternative, and provides opportunities to improve construction schedule,” Caltrans officials said Monday.
Workers will remove the existing deck and replace it with a pre-cast bridge deck, which was said to be the significantly speedier option compared to a “cast-in-place” deck.
While the work is critical to maintain the bridge for future generations, officials warn that its prolonged closure will have impacts on local freeways and surface streets, as well as those who live and work nearby.
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Los Angeles City Councilmember Tim McOsker, whose 15th Council District includes San Pedro, said the project had the potential to create a “Harborgeddon” that would affect residents, workers and the international supply chain.
“The magnitude of the Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project … is certain to be a major disruption for those who live and work throughout the Harbor Area,” McOsker said. “We all acknowledge the economic significance of the Vincent Thomas Bridge and recognize the necessity of this project, but I and my communities remain concerned about how this project will affect our air quality, traffic flow, safety, environmental justice and the overall infrastructure in the Harbor Area.”
McOsker said he supported the single-stage construction timeline and that he wanted to see Caltrans “rip off the bandaid” and get the project completed as soon as reasonably possible.
Caltrans said it is still developing a closure and detour plan, which will also utilize public input, but the most likely detour routes include Sepulveda Boulevard, West Harry Bridges Boulevard, Alameda Street, Pacific Coast Highway, Henry Ford Avenue and Terminal Island Freeway/Highway 103.
The Transportation Department’s final environmental impact report is available online.
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