The first of three public hearings on renovation plans that are expected to cause major closures on the Vincent Thomas Bridge drew about 50 people Wednesday night, May 1, with most comments centering around the impacts that could occur with the needed detours through some local communities.
The two-hour, virtual session — hosted by the California Department of Transportationm or Caltrans — was intended to get feedback on the project’s draft environmental impact report, which came out last month. An extended, 90-day public comment period runs until July 15.
Two in-person hearings are also planned: May 30 at the Wilmington Recreation Center, 325 N. Neptune Ave., in Wilmington; and June 13 at Peck Park Community Center, 560 N. Western Ave., in San Pedro. Both meetings will take place from 6 to 8 p.m.
Residents can also comment by email or letters.
The mile-long suspension bridge, which opened in 1963, is heavily used by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as well as by workers and residents traveling to and from San Pedro, Terminal Island and Long Beach.
While the bridge itself remains structurally sound, the concrete road deck, Caltrans officials have said, is “rapidly deteriorating.” Causes include “concrete fatigue” from heavy traffic and the damp marine environment. Without putting in a new deck, the department has said, the bridge itself will not last.
Currently, the Caltrans schedule calls for the design phase to finish in summer 2025, construction to begin that fall of and the bridge to fully reopen in spring 2027.
The length of time will depend on which of several construction options Caltrans selects following the public comment period.
News of the project was announced about a year ago when it sparked a flurry of public comments on social media and at a May 2023 meeting that drew some 100 viewers armed with both complaints and questions.
This week’s meeting provided a stark contrast, with fewer than a dozen people offering comments.
Concerns…
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