Gerald Desmond Bridge

The Gerald Desmond Bridge towers 250 feet over the back channel of Long Beach Harbor, providing a vital connecting route between downtown Long Beach and Terminal Island, linking cargo ships to terminals. These days, the bridge also wears a diaper. Unable to sustain the daily onslaught of trucks and cars, the 36-year-old bridge has started to buckle, sending pieces of concrete into the water. To catch the debris, port officials have placed a net, which some call a "diaper," under the bridge.

The Gerald Desmond Bridge on Terminal Island will be closed this weekend as a construction crew bolsters one of the structure's main supports to help it withstand earthquakes. From 5 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday, traffic will be routed onto the Terminal Island Freeway, Anaheim Street and 9th Street while workers install vibration insulators on the west side of the bridge. The $12.