Earlier this year the Port completed the revised draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the project and solicited comments, holding two public hearings on the project. The final EIR incorporates and responds to those comments.
“The bridge is obsolete and deteriorating,” said Port Executive Director Richard D. Steinke. “The new bridge will add lanes for improved traffic flow and dedicated safety lanes to keep traffic moving if there’s a breakdown or accident.”
The Gerald Desmond Bridge, built in 1968, is a vital route for cargo, carrying about 15 percent of the nation’s goods. It is also a critical link for commuters, who make up about 75 percent of bridge traffic. The bridge serves as a connection for thousands of vehicles each day between Long Beach and San Pedro, and between Orange County and western Los Angeles County.
The new bridge would have three traffic lanes plus emergency lanes in both directions, making it safer and better able to accommodate cars and trucks on a major Southern California commuting route. The new bridge would be higher to allow for the newest generation of green cargo ships to pass underneath.
In addition, construction of the new bridge would create up to 4,000 jobs per year for five-to-six years.
“It’s critical that we replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge now. Rather than continue to pour money into maintaining a structure with major shortcomings, we have proposed a replacement bridge to meet our needs now and in the future. And construction will support thousands of badly needed jobs,” Steinke said.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners is scheduled to consider the proposed final EIR at its Aug. 9 meeting.
