Public Works

Shoemaker Bridge Replacement Project

Additional project updates and information will be published on an on-going basis.

Latest Updates - September 2024

Northbound lanes of the Shoemaker Bridge will temporarily close for repairs on September 28 and 29, 2024 (Saturday and Sunday) which will result in changes to nearby roadways and freeway on-ramps connecting downtown Long Beach and the Port to the 710 Freeway.

The repair work is scheduled to take place from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on both days, which sustained damage when trucks carrying cargo struck the underside of the bridge in January.

During scheduled repair hours on both days, Ocean Boulevard, Third Street, and Seventh Street ramps will be closed. Motorists traveling from downtown Long Beach traveling are advised to access the northbound 710 Freeway via Anaheim Street. For more details, please visit: polb.com/port-info/news-and-press/shoemaker-bridge-repairs-planned-for-sept-28-29-09-24-2024.

• July 2024 Update

  A repair project scheduled for August 3 and 4, 2024 (Saturday and Sunday) will take place on the Shoemaker Bridge which will result in changes to access routes for the northbound 710 Freeway from downtown Long Beach and the Port area.
  
  The repair work is scheduled to take place from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on both days underneath the Shoemaker Bridge, which sustained damage when trucks carrying cargo struck the span in recent months. Crews will assess the steel framing of the bridge to determine necessary replacements at a later date.
  
  As northbound lanes on Shoemaker Bridge will be closed, motorists traveling from downtown Long Beach are advised to access the northbound I-710 via Anaheim Street. Please note that the Ocean Boulevard, Third Street, and Seventh Street ramps will be closed. For more details, please visit: https://polb.com/port-info/news-and-press/northbound-shoemaker-bridge-to-close-this-saturday-sunday-07-31-2024/.

• November 2023 Update

  The City of Long Beach is hosting an in-person community meeting to provide a comprehensive overview of the project on Saturday, December 9, 2023 from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Jenny Oropeza Community Center at Cesar Chavez Park (401 Golden Avenue). Notable project updates such as the proposed bridge design, project funding, and estimated construction timeline will be shared during the community meeting. Additionally, information about substantiative projects in the area like the Shoreline Drive Realignment and Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment (LB-MUST) projects will also be discussed.

*Click Concept Photos Below for Larger View

Project Information

The current Shoemaker Bridge was originally constructed in 1953 and is in need of updates to meet structural and geometric design standards. The City, in cooperation with Caltrans, will replace the Shoemaker Bridge (West Shoreline Drive) with a new bridge that upgrades its structural integrity, increase traffic safety and operations, enhance streetscape on major thoroughfares, address non-standard features and design deficiencies, and expand multi-model connectivity. The Shoemaker Bridge Replacement Project is located at the southern end of the Interstate (I-710) Freeway in the City of Long Beach and is bisected by the Los Angeles River. The Shoemaker Bridge Replacement Project is an Early Action Project of the I-710 Corridor Improvement Project.

The preferred alternative identified during the Project Approval/Environmental Document phase is to replace the existing Shoemaker Bridge over the Los Angeles River with a new bridge located just south of the existing bridge, and to remove the existing bridge.

The proposed Shoemaker Bridge design will be a four-lane, cable-stayed bridge carrying traffic from I-710 to a new elevated roundabout connecting Shoemaker Bridge to 7th Street and Shoreline Drive. The new Shoemaker Bridge will also have a protected shared-use path that connects Fashion Avenue in West Long Beach to a realigned Los Angeles River Maintenance Access Road/Class I Bike Path on the east bank of the Los Angeles River as well as Downtown Long Beach. Additionally, the new Shoemaker Bridge will also incorporate a pedestrian observation area in the middle of the bridge's south side.

The modern cable-stayed bridge will utilize stay cables, tiebacks, structural steel and post-tension concrete. The height of the symmetrical rings will stand approximately 240 feet above the average high-water level and will be approximately 765 feet wide from tip-to-tip of the rings. The cable-stayed bridge is being designed to withstand seismic activity, sea level rise and other climate change-related effects, such as severe weather and high winds. The reduction of bridge piers in the Los Angeles River from five to two will improve the hydraulic qualities of the river, creating more space for the free movement of aquatic and amphibious wildlife. The new bridge will utilize aesthetic lighting systems that provide for greater control of sky glow and light spillover, controlling light so it does not stray into the river or up into the sky. The lighting system will allow for adaptive management to be bird friendly.

More Information

• Shoemaker Bridge Project - Community Meeting Presentation - December 9, 2023
• Shoemaker Bridge Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment
• Shoemaker Bridge Notice of Determination
• Shoemaker Bridge Findings of Fact on the Environmental Impact Report
• Shoemaker Bridge Notice of Availability of FEIR/FONSI

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