Bridge to Progress: Long Beach International Gateway Bridge

The national Engineering and Public Works Roadshow, which highlights the impact of successful infrastructure on community and economy, made its first stop at Long Beach International Gateway Bridge and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California in late November.

Connecting Terminal Island to downtown Long Beach, the $1.5-billion “Bridge to Everywhere” was created to be safer, more productive and better able to weather the climate than the 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge, which the International Gateway replaced (demolition on the Gerald Desmond will conclude by the end of 2023). The project boasts two support towers, each reaching 515 feet into the sky, a multicolored LED lighting system and six lanes. The bridge opened in October 2020 as part of California’s state highway system. It is projected to last 100 years and was awarded the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) Grand Award at the 2022 Engineering Excellence Awards.

The Roadshow is a joint project of ACEC, the American Public Works Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers; its mission is to showcase the ingenuity and perseverance of public works crews and engineers in order to inspire the next generation to join the industry.