Long Beach drivers, brace yourselves for traffic headaches. A lane closure on the northbound Shoemaker Bridge is expected to cause significant delays in Downtown Long Beach, and the city is urging commuters to plan accordingly. The northbound right-hand lanes of the bridge, along with the off-ramp to Ninth Street in West Long Beach, are temporarily out of commission, with repairs underway after recent damage to the bridge's structure.
The disruption began back on Jan. 29, prompted by an incident where a truck's cargo struck the underside of the bridge. Officials decided to swiftly close the outside lane closest to the incident site and keep it that way indefinitely. According to the City of Long Beach's announcement, motorists are to expect delays when using northbound Shoreline Drive and Shoemaker Bridge from the Ocean Boulevard, Third Street, and Seventh Street on-ramps.
The southbound lanes of Shoemaker Bridge and the connector from the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge to the 710 North are currently open, but this could change once a full assessment is completed and repair plans are firmed up. The City has indicated that more extensive closures may well be necessary to facilitate the repair work.
Further adding to the potential traffic turmoil is the City's disclosure that a full bridge replacement is in the cards, with proposed designs for the new bridge already on display for public consideration. In a statement obtained by the City's press release, Port of Long Beach Media Relations Manager Lee Peterson can be contacted for more information about the situation. Meanwhile, drivers are advised to keep an eye out for updates concerning the lane closure and to adjust their travel plans accordingly.
