Feb. 22-24 closure affects westbound Ocean Blvd., southbound Harbor Scenic Drive

A weekend temporary road closure beginning Friday night, Feb. 22, will prompt detours for motorists heading west on Ocean Boulevard as they leave downtown Long Beach, as well as southbound travel along Harbor Scenic Drive heading toward the Queen Mary.

The closures and detours begin at 10 p.m. Friday and are expected to end by 10 p.m. Sunday. The closures are required to enable crews to demolish the final two columns of the former northbound I-710 connector ramp to the existing Gerald Desmond Bridge.  

Motorists traveling these routes during the upcoming weekend should allow extra time. 

Here are the detours during the weekend closure of Feb. 22-24:

  • If traveling west on Ocean Boulevard from downtown Long Beach and toward the bridge, motorists will be diverted north at Golden Shore toward the 710 freeway. Take I-710 north a short distance to exit at westbound Anaheim Street, then take the I-710 south route to exit at Pico Avenue. Take Pico Avenue south to the westbound on-ramp to the bridge. Alternatively, if San Pedro or the I-110 freeway are your destination, westbound motorists can take Anaheim Street all the way.  
  • The primary detour to the Queen Mary from the southbound I-710 is to take the “Terminal Is/Pico Avenue” exit to Pico Avenue, then stay in the right lane to head south on Pico. After passing the bridge construction project, turn left onto South Harbor Scenic Drive and follow the signs to the Queen Mary.
  • The alternate detour to the Queen Mary is while traveling south on I-710, take the “Downtown Long Beach, Convention Center, Aquarium” exit then to Shoreline Drive, and continue to the Queen Mary on-ramp (Queens Way). Make a right turn onto Queens Way and follow the signs to the Queen Mary. 

When fully completed the new cable-stayed bridge will include six traffic lanes and four emergency shoulders, a higher clearance to accommodate large cargo ships, a bike and pedestrian path with scenic overlooks, and more efficient transition ramps and connectors to improve traffic flow, especially among trucks. 

The $1.47 billion project will provide the Port of Long Beach and greater port complex a state-of-the-art bridge capable of meeting the needs for international cargo movement for the next 100 years. The new bridge could open to traffic later this year, with full completion expected in 2020. The Long Beach bridge project is a joint effort of Caltrans and the Port of Long Beach, with additional funding support from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).