Plans to temporarily close the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro for more than a year continue to move forward and be updated as state transportation officials fine-tune the timeline — with more specifics on detour routes now expected to be released later this month or in March.
The closure timeline has also been adjusted by the California Department of Transportation. Preliminary construction work will be finished late this year or early 2026, a Caltrans spokesperson said, which will require intermittent night and weekend closures of the bridge.
The deck replacement project — which will fully close the Vincent Thomas Bridge for 16 months — is now set to begin in the summer of 2026.
Earlier estimates called for the major work to begin in late 2025 or early 2026.
The closure is expected to present major challenges to the Harbor Area, affecting both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as surrounding communities. The mile-long bridge, which opened in the early 1960s, is also a primary connector between San Pedro and Long Beach.
Recently, Caltrans held a series of meetings in San Pedro, Wilmington and Long Beach to get public input about a road detour strategy.
The main takeaways from testimony given at those meetings, Caltrans officials said, were:
- The importance of project coordination between Caltrans and Los Angeles, because fo the Alameda widening project that would widen and reconstruct Alameda Street, from Anaheim Street to Harry Bridges Boulevard at Quay Avenue, in Wilmington.
- Anticipated traffic impacts on key routes, such as Anaheim Street, Lomita Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, which are already heavily congested; meeting participants expressed concern with motorists cutting through residential neighborhoods to avoid traffic and said increased traffic enforcement from local public safety agencies is needed.
- The need for Caltrans and other agencies to continue engaging with Wilmington businesses and stakeholders to reach solutions to concerns.
- Recommendations that Caltrans implement a CCTV system, or video surveillance, to monitor detour route conditions in real-time, allowing freight carriers to adjust their behavior to traffic conditions.
- Removing Pacific Coast Highway as a designated detour route because of the high number of traffic signals and schools, and coordination with the Los Angeles Unified School District and city of Los Angeles to ensure ample crossing guards for students.
- Exploration of the temporary elimination of the city’s local road diet measures, such as bike lanes on Anaheim Street, to increase traffic throughput.
Now in the final stages of evaluating detour routes, Caltrans officials said, the overarching goal is to “maximize the use of the State Highway System while minimizing the use of local roads.” The goal would be to lessen impacts on surrounding communities.
Going forward, Caltrans spokesperson Diana Jimenez said in a written response, Caltrans will meet with local jurisdictional agencies to discuss technical issues on roadways and project coordination. The agency also will outline plans for ongoing public engagement going forward.
Updated information can be found at virtualeventroom.com/caltrans/vtb.