Demolition of Gerald Desmond Bridge at Long Beach begins

The process of lowering the Gerald Desmond Bridge’s centre span has begun, marking the first step toward demolishing a one-time critical traffic link that spurred the Port of Long Beach’s growth over much of the last 50 years.

The 410-ft-long main span was disconnected from the rest of the bridge before being brought down in one piece to be placed onto a massive barge in the water 155 ft below.

The entire operation required a 48-hour closure of the port’s Back Channel, the waterway beneath the bridge.