Construction of the Gerald Desmond Bridge began in 1966 and cost $13 million. The bridge was built as a toll-free thoroughfare but was never as famous as its larger counterpart, the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which connects San Pedro and Terminal Island and was completed in 1964.
Commuters recognize the Gerald Desmond Bridge by its steel arch. The structure was designed in a truss style, which means it supports itself through straight links and joints. During its construction, the bridge's last beam fell 100 feet to the ground while it was being hoisted. The beam damaged two oil wells, barely missed two workmen and delayed the project by two to three weeks.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday April 20, 2004 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 45 words Type of Material: Correction
Long Beach bridge -- An article in the March 25 California section about plans to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach incorrectly stated that the span was dedicated the day after Robert Kennedy Jr. was assassinated. The assassination was of Robert F. Kennedy.
The bridge was dedicated in June 1968, a day after the assassination of Robert Kennedy Jr. Because of the assassination, a moment of silence preceded the ceremony, and a planned fireworks show was canceled.
The bridge was named after Gerald Desmond, a Long Beach city councilman and then city attorney, who died of kidney cancer in 1964 while still in office. During the dedication, his son, Gerald Desmond Jr., tightened the final bolt, which was gold-plated.
Although port officials aren't sure where the gold bolt is, Desmond has an approximate idea and hopes port officials will consider giving it to his family once the bridge is destroyed.
"My family is very happy there is a tribute to my father, and very proud that bridge is named after him," Desmond said. "We would never do anything to prevent the replacement."
It has yet to be decided whether the new bridge will keep the Desmond name.
But it will be able to accommodate large freighters with 200 feet of space between its deck and the water, compared with 150 feet from the deck of the Desmond bridge to the water. The new bridge's two towers will stretch 200 feet into the air from its deck. Architects plan to build the bridge in a cable-stayed style, which allows cables anchored in the bridge's two towers to support its deck. And it will be 10,000 feet long, double the length of the Desmond bridge.
Port officials have been seeking state and federal funding for a $711-million project to construct a new bridge and demolish the old one.
In 2002, officials completed $14 million in upgrades to the Desmond bridge. The project flipped the bridge's sidewalks outside its rails and widened the bridge by adding an extra lane. Those improvements, the port says, will go only so far.
"I think the new bridge is going to be a signature bridge for the city of Long Beach," said Geraldine Knatz, managing director of development for the Port of Long Beach. "It's going to be much taller but slender and beautiful. We hope it will become an attractive landmark."
