Vincent Thomas Bridge to Undergo Retrofitting
Caltrans announced plans Friday to begin a $26-million reinforcement of the Vincent Thomas Bridge intended to sustain the 6,000-foot-long span between San Pedro and Terminal Island during a major earthquake.
Construction crews plan to begin encasing the bridge’s supports next week in steel and concrete, delaying until August work that will involve closing traffic lanes for up to a weekend at a time.
By the project’s estimated completion next year, the retrofitting is expected to bolster the 33-year-old structure--the region’s first major suspension bridge--in the event of a 7.25-magnitude quake along the Palos Verdes fault, state Department of Transportation officials said.
The work is part of a $2-billion plan to shore up seven of nine state toll bridges. Each project will be funded by Proposition 192 funds approved last year.
The project later will require Caltrans to direct traffic onto Pacific Coast Highway and the Terminal Island and Harbor freeways during non-rush hours.
Similar work is underway this weekend on the Gerald Desmond Bridge on Terminal Island. That structure will be closed 5 a.m. today to 5 a.m. Monday.
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