The replacement bridge will feature a clearance of 205 feet to accommodate increasingly large container vessels expected to travel to and from the Port of Long Beach, according to officials planning the project. The existing bridge has a 155-foot clearance.
Construction crews assigned to the monumental task of building the replacement Gerald Desmond Bridge are laying the foundation for two 515-foot towers designed to support the weight of a 2,000-foot span linking the city to Terminal Island.
Workers began work on the eastern tower, nearer to downtown Long Beach, about one month ago. This week, construction crews started the extensive task of building a foundation for the western tower on Terminal Island.