Gerald Desmond Bridge (1968–2020) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gerald Desmond Bridge
The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge 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 / 33.76444; -118.22111
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	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	527 ft (161 m)
Clearance above	18.4 ft (6 m)
Clearance below	155 ft (47 m)
History
Designer	Moffatt & Nichol
Constructed by	Bethlehem Steel
Construction begin	October 19, 1965
Construction end	June 1968
Construction cost	US$12,700,000 (equivalent to $106,870,000 in 2022)
Rebuilt	1995–2000
Closed	October 2, 2020
Replaces	1944 pontoon bridge
Statistics
Daily traffic	62,057 (2012)
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The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge was a special type of bridge called a through arch bridge. It had five lanes for cars and trucks. This bridge connected Long Beach, California, to Terminal Island by crossing the Back Channel. It was named after Gerald Desmond, who was an important leader and city attorney for Long Beach.

Early Ways to Cross

Before the Gerald Desmond Bridge, there were other ways to get to Terminal Island. One of the first roads was called Badger Avenue. It went over the Henry Ford Bridge.

The 1944 Pontoon Bridge

During World War II, a "temporary" pontoon bridge was built. This bridge floated on the water. It was made to help with all the extra traffic going to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. This pontoon bridge was only supposed to last for six months. But it ended up being used for 24 years, until 1968!

Crossing this bridge could be tricky. Depending on the ocean's tide, the road could be quite a bit lower than the land. Also, when ships needed to pass, the bridge had to open. This caused traffic jams that could last up to 15 minutes. Sadly, about seven people died after accidentally driving off this old pontoon bridge.

Building the 1968 Arch Bridge

The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge was designed by Moffatt & Nichol Engineers. It was built by Bethlehem Steel. This new bridge was meant to replace the old floating pontoon bridge.

Gerald Desmond, the person the bridge is named after, was the City Attorney for Long Beach. He helped get money from oil found in the ocean to pay for the bridge. Sadly, he passed away at age 48 before the bridge was finished. Construction started on October 19, 1965, and the bridge was completed in June 1968. Gerald Desmond's son helped put in the very last "golden" bolt.

Bridge Design and Size

The main part of the bridge, called the main span, was 527-foot-long (161 m). It had a height of 155-foot (47 m) above the water. This height is called the vertical clearance. The bridge connected Terminal Island on its west side to downtown Long Beach on its east side. It also separated the inner and middle parts of the Port of Long Beach.

Making the Bridge Stronger

From 1996 to 1997, the bridge was made stronger to handle earthquakes. This process is called seismic retrofitting. Workers added special parts to reduce vibrations and made the foundations wider.

Problems with the Old Bridge

When the Gerald Desmond Bridge was finished in 1968, people thought only a few cars would use it. They expected mostly workers going to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. But things changed a lot!

More Traffic and Bigger Ships

The Long Beach Naval Shipyard closed in 1997. The land was then used for one of the busiest shipping ports in the United States. This meant many more cargo trucks started using the bridge. Some people say truck traffic tripled after the shipyard closed.

By 2010, the bridge's height of 155-foot (47 m) above the water became a problem. It was one of the lowest bridges for a big commercial port. Modern container ships were getting much taller. The Port of Long Beach is one of the busiest ports, and the bridge was too low for the biggest ships.

Falling Concrete and Safety Concerns

The bridge was not built for so much heavy traffic. In 2012, about 62,000 vehicles used it every day. This extra stress caused pieces of concrete to fall from the bridge's underside. In 2004, the Port of Long Beach had to put up special nylon nets, like "diapers," to catch the falling concrete.

Also, the bridge did not have emergency lanes. This meant that if there was an accident, multiple lanes would close, causing huge traffic jams. The ramps leading up to the bridge were also very steep.

Impact on Shipping

Shipping companies wanted to use bigger ships to carry more cargo. But the Gerald Desmond Bridge's low height stopped the largest ships from entering the Inner Harbor at Long Beach. This problem was a reason why the Port of Long Beach's share of U.S. container imports went down. In 2013, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles handled 32% of U.S. container imports, which was less than the 39% they handled in 2002.

In March 2012, a very large container ship called the MSC Fabiola could not pass under the bridge. It was the biggest container ship to ever come to the Port of Long Beach. Because of the bridge's height, the ship had to dock at a different terminal.

View of the old Gerald Desmond Bridge from the north. You can see the nets under the bridge, which were there to catch falling pieces of concrete.

A New Cable-Stayed Bridge

Because of all the problems with the 1968 steel arch bridge, the Port of Long Beach decided it would be better to build a new one.

The Replacement Bridge

After many studies, they decided to build a new cable-stayed bridge. This new bridge was built just north of the old one. It is much taller, with 205 feet (62 m) of vertical clearance. This means the tallest container ships can now easily enter the port.

The new bridge is the first long cable-stayed bridge in California. It is also the only one in the Los Angeles area. Because the new bridge is so tall, it needs very long ramps for trucks to drive up and down.

Images for kids

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  The Back Channel, the Los Angeles River, and downtown Long Beach before the pontoon bridge was built.