Most, if not all, of the Vincent Thomas Bridge could close for one to two years beginning around 2025 so the nearly 60-year-old San Pedro span can get a new roadbed for the first time since it was built.
Details on the California Department of Transportation project, estimated to cost $628.5 million, are just now rolling out — with the news coming as a surprise to many of those who will be heavily impacted.
Caltrans will host a virtual meeting, as part of an extensive state and federal scoping process for the project, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4. Work is anticipated to take place from 2025 to 2027.
Replacing the roadway, Caltrans officials say, is necessary to maintain the bridge, which turns 60 in November, into the future. The road in both directions has been damaged over time by saltwater, moisture and heavy use.
But depending on what construction option received approval — there are three alternatives Caltrans is weighing and asking for feedback on — it will fully or partially close the bridge for long periods of time.
The bridge is heavily traveled daily by port workers, container trucks, and a regular flow of others driving to and from the port complex and between Long Beach and San Pedro. The bridge can back up quickly when a lane is shut down because of a crash or repair work.
The roadway, called the bridge deck, received a short-term fix in 2009 with a new polyester concrete overlay. But that cannot be done again, said Caltrans Environmental Senior Planner Jason Roach.
That 2009 overlay, Roach said, “is starting to see cracks. It worked (well for a few years) but another polyester overlay is not going to cut it.”
The new roadway being planned is certified to last 75 years, according to Caltrans.
In addition to the deck, some side railings will also be replaced to align with current safety standards, Roach said. Caltrans is working with the state Department of Historic Preservation to make sure the new pieces conform with the…
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