by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is considering an upgrade to the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a vital artery connecting the port facilities of the San Pedro Bay Port Complex.

Both the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles rely on this bridge, which serves as a key route for heavy trucks and workers to travel to and from the busy twin ports. 

In 2024, California announced a series of planned closures of the bridge for major renovations starting late 2025 or early 2026. The proposed project, initially estimated to cost over USD 700 million and take 16 months, aims to fix the more than 60-year-old bridge.

However, the Port of Los Angeles has suggested an additional enhancement to the project.

Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, has proposed raising the bridge height by 26 feet (nearly 8 metres) to accommodate larger container ships of up to 23,000 TEU.

This modification would increase the project's total cost to USD 2.2 billion and extend the construction timeline to 28 months.

If the project is approved, the bridge will enable access to super-post-Panamax vessels for three of Los Angeles' six container terminals: Yusen Terminals, TraPac, and the West Basin Container Terminal.

Without this additional clearance, access to these terminals would remain limited to vessels with a capacity of 15,000 TEUs.

According to the Journal of Commerce, about 53,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily, including 3,400 heavy-duty trucks. Local commuters and businesses raised concerns about the extended construction period.

Currently, the Caltrans website indicates that the project is still in the design phase. The biggest part of the project, which will be the deck replacement phase, is planned from fall 2026 to winter 2027/2028.