PORT OF LONG BEACH— Long Beach Oct. 2, welcomed the ceremonial opening of the new Gerald Desmond bridge at the Port of Long Beach, reinforcing its importance to international shipping and introducing the iconic structure that redesigns the Southern California skyline.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia dedicated California’s first cable-stayed bridge for traffic, a 515-foot-tall, two-tower span that helps facilitate national goods movement and offers a much-improved transportation link for commuters in coastal communities of Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Friday’s virtual and socially distanced ceremonies were closed to the public because of COVID-19 restrictions. Ceremonies were broadcast live and included taped greetings from more than 15 top elected representatives, local labor leaders and funding partners. The new bridge was jointly funded by the Port of Long Beach, Caltrans, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro).
The livestreamed celebration featured a coordinated vehicle procession via land, sea and air highlighted by a “first drive” over the bridge led by 30 low- and zero-emissions cargo trucks representing the Port’s terminals and major shipping lines, and 34 classic cars that spotlighted the 109-year history of the Port. The procession included the debut of Volvo’s battery-electric heavy-duty cargo truck that, along with other truck manufacturers building the latest zero- and low-emission vehicles, will help the Port of Long Beach achieve its clean air goals by 2035.
The ceremony included a five-plane formation of the Torrance-based Tiger Squadron — historic warplanes offering a tribute to the Port’s prior legacy as a major U.S. Navy base — as well as a boat parade led by water-spouting fireboats, police boats, tugs and other vessels from state and federal agencies.
Watch the ceremony on our YouTube, along with videos recounting the construction of the bridge.