The meeting — at the Wilmington Recreation Center, N. Neptune Ave. — will be conducted by the California Department of Transportation, which will close the heavily traveled, mile-long bridge for 16 months beginning late next year or early 2026 to replace the road deck.
Because the bridge is such a key link to the Port of Los Angeles — and beyond that to Long Beach — and is heavily used by port workers, cargo haulers and the public, much of the concern has centered around potential detour routes and how those will impact nearby communities, especially Wilmington.
Thursday’s meeting will be the first in-person one for Caltrans’ Traffic Management Plan Task Force. The task force was formed to gather input from the public, stakeholders and motorists on forming plans for detour routes once the bridge is fully closed for construction.
The bridge — on State Route 47 — has been in service for 60 years. Although the bridge itself is structurally sound, according to Caltrans, its deck is “rapidly deteriorating.”
The reasons listed are concrete “fatigue” caused by heavy traffic, as well as environmental deterioration because of age and the marine environment.
Caltrans proposes a 16-month full closure of the bridge to replace the entire deck and add seismic sensors on the iconic green structure to preserve its function and structural integrity. The overhaul will also “enhance the bridge’s overall safety,” according to a Caltrans release announcing Thursday’s meeting.
For more information on the project, visit virtualeventroom.com/caltrans/vtb
By Donna Littlejohn | [email protected] | Daily Breeze
UPDATED: November 19, 2024 at 1:16 PM PST