Shimmick served as lead JV partner for the design and construction of a new, six-lane, 2,000-foot-long main span and back span cable-stayed bridge at the Port of Long Beach. The new Gerald Desmond bridge required more than 6,000 feet of elevated approach viaducts, two major freeway interchanges and numerous ramps and embankments.
The 8,000-foot-long cable-stayed bridge founded on deep shafts is over 160 feet wide with six traffic lanes, wide shoulders, a 12-footwide pedestrian walkway and a dedicated bicycle path. As the first major highway cable-stayed bridge in California, channel clearance was increased from the current 155 feet to 205 feet, allowing larger, greener post-Panamax ships to enter the port. The bridge eases traffic congestion, improves safety and protects Southern California’s vital role as a major trading hub. The bridge is the second tallest of its kind in the nation and the jewel of one of the largest ports in the world, visible throughout much of the Los Angeles Basin. Bridge reconstruction is on I-710 within the busiest container port in the U.S. This location has both heavy truck and rail traffic that must always be maintained to avoid disruptions to commerce.
Our team researched, developed, patented and installed the first post base tip grout CIDH system for Caltrans. We successfully based 352 tip-grouted CIDH piles for the new Gerald Desmond Bridge. All piles were installed with less than 1% of piles needing anomaly mitigation repair.
Named Project of the Year by the California Transportation Foundation in 2020
Named #4 to the Top 10 Bridges of 2020 by Roads & Bridges. The second-tallest cable-stayed bridge in the U.S. and the first such bridge for vehicles in California.