COST: $706 million
CONSTRUCTION START DATE: Fourth quarter 2026
CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION: First quarter 2028
CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR TEAM: Skanska (Stockholm) and California Engineering Contractors (Pleasanton)
The 6,000-foot-long Vincent Thomas Bridge was built in 1963 to connect San Pedro with Terminal Island at the Port of Los Angeles. The bridge is owned and operated by the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans. While the bridge itself is structurally sound, the deck is deteriorating. Caltrans has budgeted $706 million to replace the entire bridge deck and its seismic sensors.
Pre-construction activities have already begun. The bridge is expected to close next fall, allowing the construction team of Stockholm-based Skanska and Pleasanton-based California Engineering Contractors to begin. The project is expected to last about 16 months, with the bridge expected to reopen in early 2028, four months ahead of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
One wild card could disrupt this process: Port of Los Angeles. Executive Director Gene Seroka has put forward a plan to raise the bridge above the port channel to allow room for the latest supersized cargo vessels – in tandem with the bridge redecking project. However, funding commitments haven’t been announced.