City of Long Beach Unveils Proposed Design for Shoemaker Bridge Replacement

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - On Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, the Department of Public Works hosted an in-person community meeting at the Jenny Oropeza Community Center to unveil the proposed design of the new Shoemaker Bridge. Located at the southern end of I-710 and bisected by the Los Angeles River, the new Shoemaker bridge will be one of several projects to prepare the City of Long Beach for the LA2028 Olympic Games. During the community meeting, participants were informed of the bridge replacement project details and adjacent supporting projects, such as the federally funded Shoreline Drive Realignment.

"Long Beach will be home to yet another jewel," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "The new Shoemaker Bridge will be the first monument people see when they visit Long Beach. Projects like this will permanently transform the city landscape to re-connect communities, bring vital economic development to the region, and welcome visitors from all over the world to Long Beach."

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.

The current Shoemaker Bridge was originally constructed in 1953 and is nearing the end of its useful life. The existing design has a high traffic accident rate, and a new bridge will meet updated structural and geometric design standards and improve traffic safety. The City was a recent recipient of a $30 million Department of Transportation grant to complete the design for realigning Shoreline Drive, which serves as a critical step to replace the aging Shoemaker Bridge that will produce substantial community benefits and lead to safer and more accessible streets and will double the amount of open and green space for recreation to both Cesar E. Chavez Park (401 Golden Ave.) and Drake Park (951 Maine Ave.).

"The new Shoemaker Bridge will allow for other parts of the district to flourish," said First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. "The vision for this project is to reconnect communities and one of those ways is to add six new acres of parkland that wasn't previously accessible."

"When we speak about Shoemaker Bridge, we also have to discuss the surrounding projects such as the Shoreline Drive Realignment, the Drake and Chavez Park Master Plan, and the Long Beach Municipal Urban Stormwater Treatment facility," said Eric Lopez, Director of Public Works. "Thanks to support from the Federal Government Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill for Shoreline Drive Realignment, the City can begin the first step of reconnecting communities to new and improved park spaces that are safer, accessible, and connected."

The Shoemaker Bridge Replacement project, combined with the Shoreline Drive Realignment, will increase multi-modal connectivity within the project limits and surrounding area, enhance safety elements by providing bicycle, pedestrian and streetscape improvements on major thoroughfares, and address non-standard features and bridge design to enhance structural integrity.

During the meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 12, the Department of Public Works will request approval from the Long Beach City Council to assume responsibility for the current Shoemaker Bridge and begin the process for permitting and regulatory approvals. Community members are invited to share their input during the City Council meeting, taking place at 5 p.m. at the Long Beach Civic Chambers.

For more project information or to sign-up to receive regular project updates, please visit longbeach.gov/shoemakerbridgeproject.

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