Container terminals at the Port of Los Angeles are preparing to extend truck gate hours and introduce weekend operations in order to mitigate disruption caused by the upcoming reconstruction of a major bridge serving the harbor.
The Vincent Thomas Bridge, a 63-year-old structure handling approximately 53,000 vehicles per day, will undergo a major redevelopment project that will partially close the bridge beginning in March.
The bridge is a critical connection between port terminals and regional freeway networks and also handles approximately 3,400 heavy-duty trucks daily.
Port authorities, terminal operators and transportation agencies have spent the past two years planning alternative routes and mitigation strategies.
Terminal operators are expected to keep gates open longer in order to maintain cargo fluidity during the construction period.
Port officials have also installed more than 40 monitoring cameras along detour routes in order to provide real-time traffic data and respond quickly to congestion incidents.
