Plans continue to be tweaked for a full 16-month closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge but one looming stumbling block that arose recently apparently has been mitigated by state transportation officials.
Because of the upgraded materials needed to build a new replacement roadway on the 1963 bridge — the reason the bridge closure was needed — it initially appeared that the iconic green harbor span, which extends over the busy Port of Los Angeles, would end up dropping 11 inches closer to the busy waterway below.
The bridge clearance from the water varies, but is usually tracked at about 185 feet above the harbor’s surface.
Caltrans officials, though, now say they believe they’ve managed to mitigate the earlier threat of losing 11 inches of that space, a matter that involved many discussions with Port of Los Angeles officials.
For port officials and engineers, the issue of the bridge clearance over the busy waterway has become increasingly important as ships and other maritime equipment have grown significantly in size in recent years. It was an issue that drove much of the need to replace the old Gerald Desmond Bridge on the Port of Long Beach side of the twin ports some years ago. (The new Long Beach International Gateway Bridge has a water clearance of 205 feet and cost about $1.5 billion to build.)
Overall, the Vincent Thomas Bridge is 6,060 feet long, 52 feet wide and 365 feet tall. Its longest span is 1,500 feet, and the clearance below is 185 feet, which is what it will still be once the work is finished, California Department of Transportation officials said. The road replacement work reportedly will cost about $706 million. (Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in May 2023 that building a new bridge — an alternative some critics called for instead — would cost the equivalent of $6 billion.)
The full closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge is now set to begin in the fall of 2026, with the re-opening set for winter 2027-28. The prior projected closure was set to begin earlier in 2026.
The later timeline means there could still be one more Conquer the Bridge Labor Day run — which would be on Sept. 7, 2026 — before it closes.
And under the tweaked timeline, the bridge should still be reopened by winter 2027-28, in plenty of time for the 2028 Summer Olympics coming to Los Angeles.
Either way, the full closure, no doubt, will be painful for area commuters, some nearby residents and those handling port cargo. Other options that would have closed the bridge only partially — but for a much longer overall period — were rejected following public meetings.
The project first came under public discussion a few years ago — work then was anticipated to begin in 2025 — and from the beginning, it generated widespread concern about traffic disruption throughout the region.
The landmark, mile-long green bridge takes port and commuter traffic back and forth over the Port of Los Angeles, connecting San Pedro, Terminal Island and Long Beach. It opened in 1963 and is a key regional connector.
There remains little doubt that the needed closure will produce a good share of confusion and traffic disruption, but Caltrans officials continue working on a network of detours.
Concerns have been many, including anticipated traffic impacts on key routes, such as Anaheim Street, Lomita Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, which are already heavily congested.
Among the biggest challenges during the closure period, Caltrans officials said recently, will be “managing traffic congestion and preserving the efficiency of goods movement through the Los Angeles Harbor. The bridge is a vital connector for the local community, port employees and truck drivers, among other motorists.
“Caltrans is working closely with industry and labor organizations and local government agencies,” the agency added in its recent statement, “through a series of stakeholder meetings organized by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) to minimize the disruptions during the bridge closure.”
Although all traffic will be impacted, Caltrans officials said, port-related traffic could especially face challenges beginning in late 2026.
“Caltrans has communicated extensively with industry and labor organizations in the region, such as the Harbor Trucking Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and Pacific Merchant Shipping Association,” the statement said, “to address concerns about worker commutes, trucking routes, and trucking operations.
“The Traffic Management Plan for this project includes the deployment of traffic control and enforcement officers during the full closure, adjustments to traffic signal timing at key locations, and potentially the re-striping of lanes in some areas,” the agency added. “Caltrans also plans to resurface portions of the signed detour prior to construction on the deck replacement.”
Caltrans spokespeople said they aim for the detour routes to divert traffic away from local streets and maximize use of the state highway system, notably State Route 47 and the 110, 710 and 405 freeways.
Discussions are also ongoing about emergency planning during the closures, the statement said, with the California Highway Patrol and public safety agencies taking part. Considerations have included the proximity of local medical facilities, movement of first responders, and scenarios involving injured bridge workers, according to the statement.
Caltrans said it also plans to resurface areas of the proposed detour routes throughout 2026, and discussions about the temporary reconfiguration of lane striping and traffic signal timing on local roads are underway between Caltrans and Los Angeles. The department also plans on paying for traffic control officers at key intersections during the full closure of the bridge.
And there are plans to have a closed-circuit television network of monitors for motorists to view traffic in real time to help plan their commutes.
While some have questioned why the Vincent Thomas Bridge isn’t being replaced instead, engineers have pointed out that it took more than seven years and cost more than $1 billion dollars to build the new Long Beach bridge and the roadway on the San Pedro bridge needed replacing much more quickly. The roadway on the Vincent Thomas Bridge already had been repaired numerous times over the years and could no longer be patched.
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Caltrans’ technical and community advisory committees for the deck replacement project both continue meeting monthly to discuss the traffic management plan, which includes detour routes and traffic control; schedule coordination with local capital improvement projects; community input; and listening to other concerns related to the project.
Any upcoming public meetings will be placed on the project website calendar, virtualeventroom.com/caltrans/vtb/#calendar
Information about the bridge closure, updates and plans as they evolve are available at the Vincent Thomas Bridge Virtual Room site, where residents also can register for ongoing alerts and a subscription as information changes. The website includes maps and timelines.
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