The Gerald Desmond Bridge was a 1968 through arch bridge that carried five lanes of Ocean Boulevard from Interstate 710 in Long Beach, California, west across the Back Channel to Terminal Island. The bridge was named after Gerald Desmond, a prominent civic leader and former city attorney for the City of Long Beach. In October 2020, a new cable-stayed bridge named Long Beach International Gateway replaced the old Gerald Desmond Bridge to allow the tallest container ships to access the ports. Demolition of the old bridge began in July 2022 and was completed in August 2023.
The 1968 Gerald Desmond Bridge (pictured in 2008) spans the Back Channel, connecting Long Beach with Terminal Island.
Back Channel, the Los Angeles River and downtown Long Beach, prior to the construction of the pontoon bridge
View of the old Gerald Desmond Bridge from the north, looking south-southeast. Netting is visible on the bottom of the truss spans flanking the main arch span, serving to catch chunks of decaying concrete that occasionally fall from the structure.
Interstate 710 and State Route 710 (California)
Route 710, consisting of the non-contiguous segments of State Route 710 (SR 710) and Interstate 710 (I-710), is a major north–south state highway and auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of the U.S. state of California. Also called the Los Angeles River Freeway prior to November 18, 1954, the highway was initially planned to connect Long Beach and Pasadena, but a gap in the route exists from Alhambra to Pasadena through South Pasadena due to community opposition to its construction.
Aerial view of the I-105/I-710 interchange
Night aerial view of the Los Angeles River where I-710 converges on it (from the right) at the City of Commerce
I-710 at its junction with SR 60 in East Los Angeles
Southern onramp, I-710 northern stub, near downtown Pasadena. Note dormant construction equipment lining the median, and the road sign structures installed on the overpass without any signs posted.
