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SEVEN INCREDIBLE YEARS:

BUILDING THE SIGNATURE BRIDGE IN LONG BEACH, CA

PIECE BY PIECE

​Today the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge is the iconic landmark welcoming residents and visitors to Long Beach, CA. But in 2013 it was just a vision on paper – a story that needed to be documented and shared. The Port of Long Beach chose Media 360 for this amazing journey.

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For seven years, our team regularly captured breath-taking footage, conducted interviews with key stakeholders, including on-site workers, and shared the story with the world.  When the Science and Discovery Channels needed footage for their stories, we provided them with hyper lapse, drone, underwater and ground shots as we were there for every step of the build.

 

We even took the Executive Director to the very top of one of the 515-towers while it was still under construction to speak about the completion of this key milestone.

BY THE NUMBERS

Bridge Opening Ceremony 2020
01:59

Bridge Opening Ceremony 2020

The new bridge at the Port of Long Beach opened Friday, Oct. 2, with a virtual opening ceremony featuring a vintage plane flyover, a procession of clean trucks and classic cars and a boat parade.
The Big Pour
02:29

The Big Pour

Crews began constructing the new 515-foot tall bridge towers for the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement. A total of 3,200 cubic yards of concrete were poured in and around 2,240 square feet of rebar, completing the important “pile cap.”
Moving a 3.1-Million-Pound Bridge-Builder
02:01

Moving a 3.1-Million-Pound Bridge-Builder

In this timelapse video the orange moveable scaffolding system (MSS) is being moved between bridge columns on the west side of the water channel in prep for being lifted into place to construct the eastbound incline. It's truly a sight to behold.
Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project
00:55

Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project

This monthly series of videos show viewers the latest progress on the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project. Designed for the mobile app, project newsletter and social media, produced by Media 360 for Westbound Communications.
Connecting Main Span to Approaches
02:12

Connecting Main Span to Approaches

Watch as the placement of one of the final edge girders on the south side of the main span to the end bent (i.e., top of the approach) on the east side. This hulking piece of structural steel weighs thousands of pounds, and the bolt plate (i.e., the square piece with the holes) on both ends has to match perfectly. It’s precision work to carefully lower the girder into the correct position.
Bridge Retirement Ceremony – The Golden Bolt
03:34

Bridge Retirement Ceremony – The Golden Bolt

Fifty years after he installed it, Gerald Desmond Jr. removes the golden bolt from the Long Beach bridge named for his father.
710 Connector Ramp Demolition
01:04

710 Connector Ramp Demolition

The former connector ramp that previously took eastbound traffic from Terminal Island to the northbound 710 freeway was demolished during a four-day closure that began on July 4. The ramp, which went over southbound Harbor Scenic Drive and Ocean Boulevard, was removed so that construction can proceed on a new northbound connector ramp that is part of the Bridge Project. Large excavators equipped with jackhammers and claws tore down the elevated ramp, as crews worked around the clock to complete the demolition as safely and quickly as possible, and minimize traffic impacts in the area. The time-lapse video above shows the demolition of the connector ramp over the four days of the closure.
Ocean Blvd Overpass Demolition
01:07

Ocean Blvd Overpass Demolition

Work crews demolished the Ocean Boulevard over Pico Avenue in Long Beach over the weekend of April 29-30 as part of the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project.
November 2017 Update
06:52

November 2017 Update

Check out this short highlight reel of the Bridge Project construction that includes sunset shots of workers on the blue movable scaffolding system (MSS) as well as night-time flyovers.
Career Profiles - Zeph Varley, Civil Engineer
01:03

Career Profiles - Zeph Varley, Civil Engineer

Zeph Varley is a civil engineer for the Port of Long Beach, working on the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project.
Bridge Bike Path Opening Ceremony
02:48

Bridge Bike Path Opening Ceremony

The new Mark Bixby Memorial Bicycle-Pedestrian Path and Ocean Boulevard Connector opened to the public May 20, offering a unique recreational experience at the Port of Long Beach while also honoring the memory of a prominent cycling advocate. Hundreds of cyclists and walkers joined Bixby family members and federal, state, local and Port officials who gathered at the Long Beach Civic Center Plaza for a grand opening ceremony, bicycle procession to the new paths, and a ribbon cutting and inaugural crossing for the two connected bike-walk paths at the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge.
Gerald Desmond Bridge Demolition
01:08

Gerald Desmond Bridge Demolition

First The Port of Long Beach built the new bridge, now it's time to take down the old one. After more than 50 years of service, demolition began on the Gerald Desmond Bridge earlier this month. Check out this video for some behind the scenes and up-close footage of the demo.
“This moment has been 20 years in the making, from the time we started planning to replace the Gerald Desmond with a taller, wider and safer bridge that would allow the Port of Long Beach to remain competitive for years to come."

Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero

PROJECT FUNDING

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The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project is a joint effort of Caltrans and the Port of Long Beach, with funding contributions from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

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