The Port of Long Beach and California's transport authority Caltrans can now start the hunt for a design and build team for the US$950 million replacement of the Gerald Desmond Bridge. Yesterday's authorisation by the California Transportation Commission was the final government clearance required.

The cable-stayed bridge will have a two single-mast towers and a 304.8m main span with a composite deck. Design and build costs for the bridge itself are put at US$240 million, with US$215 million for the high level approaches flanking it at each end and US$210 million for the low-level approaches further out.

Final design and preliminary construction will begin in early 2011 and construction of the main bridge foundations could start in 2012.