Gerald Desmond Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge (pictured in 2008) spans the Back Channel, connecting Long Beach with Terminal Island. | |
| Coordinates | 33°45′52″N 118°13′16″W / 33.76444°N 118.22111°W |
| Carries | 5 lanes of Ocean Blvd between  SR 47 and  I-710 |
| Crosses | Back Channel |
| Locale | Terminal Island and Long Beach, California |
| Named for | Gerald Desmond |
| Owner | Port of Long Beach |
| NBI | 53C0065 |
| Preceded by | 1944 pontoon bridge |
| Followed by | Long Beach International Gateway (cable-stayed span) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | through arch bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 5,134 ft (1,565 m) |
| Width | 67.3 ft (21 m) |
| Height | 250 ft (76 m) |
| Longest span | 410 ft (125 m)[1] |
| Clearance above | 18.4 ft (6 m) |
| Clearance below | 155 ft (47 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | Moffatt & Nichol |
| Constructed by | Bethlehem Steel |
| Construction start | October 19, 1965 |
| Construction end | June 1968 |
| Construction cost | US$12,700,000 (equivalent to $111,270,000 in 2023) |
| Rebuilt | 1995–2000 |
| Closed | October 2, 2020 |
| Replaces | 1944 pontoon bridge |
| Replaced by | Cable-stayed span |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 62,057 (2012) |
| Location | |
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The Gerald Desmond Bridge was a 1968 through arch bridge that carried five lanes of Ocean Boulevard from Interstate 710 in Long Beach, California, west across the Back Channel to Terminal Island. The bridge was named after Gerald Desmond, a prominent civic leader and former city attorney for the City of Long Beach. In October 2020, a new cable-stayed bridge named Long Beach International Gateway replaced the old Gerald Desmond Bridge to allow taller container ships to access the ports. Demolition of the old bridge began in July 2022 and was completed in August 2023.[2][3]
- ^ "Crews lower main span of Gerald Desmond as demolition begins on 54-year-old bridge". Long Beach Business Journal.
- ^ Brandon Richardson (July 30, 2021). "Gerald Desmond Bridge to be fully demolished by October 2023". Long Beach Business Journal. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ Robinson, Alicia (August 31, 2023). "The old Gerald Desmond Bridge is officially gone. Where's its final resting place?". Long Beach Post News. Retrieved October 7, 2023.