Port of Long Beach Bridge Delayed a Year
The $1 billion project to replace the aging Gerald Desmond Bridge along the main route to the Port of Long Beach will be delayed a year according to port officials, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The bridge is expected to be completed in late 2017 or early 2018 due to delays in design approval from Caltrans, according to the paper.
The new bridge is being constructed in a design-build plan with construction of the foundation beginning while about only 70% of the bridge has been designed.
The project is $300 million over its original $950 million estimated budget, and port officials said more accurate cost estimates will be released in July.
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners also said it is voting to elect Jon Slangerup, former head of FedEx Canada, as the port’s chief executive.
“The Port of Long Beach is investing billions of dollars in advanced technology and infrastructure development, and I look forward to working with our team to flawlessly execute our capital plans and deliver exceptional value to our customers and community stakeholders to ensure the continued growth and expansion of our Port,” Slangerup said in a statement.
Slangerup succeeds former J. Christopher Lytle, who left the port about a year ago for a similar position at the Port of Oakland.
