TRAC Intermodal Participates in Opening Ceremony for Gerald Desmond Replacement Bridge

October 2^nd marked the Opening Ceremony of the Gerald Desmond Replacement Bridge in Long Beach, California. The virtual event began at 10^am with a pre-recorded show televised on local cable and various websites that tells the story of the bridge’s construction and includes comments from local, state and federal representatives.

At 11am, a special procession of trucks and other classic vehicles – including TRAC chassis – began the first drive over the bridge. The celebration also included a flyover of historic warplanes and a boat parade passing underneath the bridge.

“Congratulations to the Port of Long Beach on the completion of this important project. We are honored to be part of the celebration and excited to see how it will benefit the Port and larger community going forward,” said Dan Walsh, CEO of TRAC Intermodal.

Referred to by the city of Long Beach and Port of Long Beach as ‘The Bridge to Everywhere,’ the $1.47 billion project took seven years to complete. The new cable-stay bridge is wider than the original, facilitating the flow of area traffic with three lanes in each direction, as well as additional emergency, bike and pedestrian lanes. The replacement bridge is also 60 feet taller, which will allow larger ships to access the port. The result is a state-of-the-art structure designed to support 15% of the country’s cargo traffic today, while being able to accommodate increasing import and export volume.

The bridge was a joint effort between Caltrans and the Port of Long Beach. It will officially open to traffic on Monday, October 5.

For more information, visit polb.com or newgdbridge.com.