Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement

Mark Thomas provided stage construction and traffic handling design, including preparation of the Transportation Management Plan, for this $700 million design-build project. The project’s construction packages were split into two parts to expedite work on certain portions of the area. The overall project included construction of the innovative cable-stayed, six-lane Gerald Desmond Bridge, now renamed the Long Beach International Gateway, which replaced the existing four-lane structure. The new bridge included safety lanes to provide better emergency vehicle access than the previous structure and helped reduce delays caused by vehicle breakdowns.

Mark Thomas prepared Caltrans stage construction and traffic handling plans as well as the TMP. The project included improvements to I-710 and Ocean Boulevard, construction of two freeway interchanges, connectors, and loop ramps, drainage, signing and striping, lighting, and signals, and significant coordination with concurrent port and Caltrans projects, including utility and pier improvements. ADA enhancements and a bike lane were added on the bridge.