A joint venture team headed by Shimmick Construction, FCC Construction and Impregilo is the primary contractor for the design and construction of the replacement bridge. Construction costs for the new bridge will be about US$650 million, with site preparation, demolition of the existing bridge and other considerations bringing the total project to US$1 billion.
Federal, state and local officials gathered near the base of the existing Gerald Desmond Bridge for a ceremony that included two helicopters hovering at 157m – the eventual height of the two new towers. "This bridge is vital to freight movement and the nation’s economy,” said federal highway administrator Victor Mendez. “The project will also relieve congestion on the road network that directly serves one of the nation’s busiest ports.”
Another demonstration at the ceremony highlighted the engineering techniques to be used in building the massive towers and bridge pylons. An oscillator and crane installed a 1.5m-diameter steel casing in the ground for the construction of a test shaft that will be used to verify the design of the foundations.
The replacement project will allow the Gerald Desmond Bridge to remain in use while the new one is erected adjacent to it. The new bridge will allow the world’s biggest cargo ships to reach the inner berths at the Port of Long Beach. It will raise the clearance over the channel from 47m to 61m, allowing the world’s largest ships to enter the port’s inner harbour.
