Some On and Off-Ramps For Long Beach's Shoemaker Bridge To Shut Down Soon

LONG BEACH, CA — In early May, the Ninth and 10th Street on- and off-ramps connecting the Port of Long Beach to the Shoemaker Bridge will permanently close ahead of planned demolition work this summer.

"On about May 4, we will permanently close the ramps from 9^th and 10^th streets that connect to southbound Shoemaker, and the ramp from northbound Shoemaker to 9^th Street," port spokesman Lee Peterson said.

"There will be some temporary closures of Shoemaker and the 710 (Freeway) so we can take those ramps, and that’s just three weekends this summer," he added.

The closures are related to the City of Long Beach removing and replacing the 72-year-old Shoemaker Bridge, although that's not something that's imminent and could take years to happen.

The on- and off-ramps' removal is related to the construction of an on-dock rail facility at the port.

"The ramps are not heavily used, and sufficient alternate routes are available in the area, including Willow Street, Pacific Coast Highway, Anaheim Street, Ocean Boulevard and the Queensway Bridge," port officials said in a statement.

Motorists are expected to still be able to access the Shoemaker Bridge from West Seventh Street, West Third Street, West Ocean Boulevard and West Shoreline Drive, east of the Los Angeles River.

Demolition work will require three temporary, weekend closures this summer: first, the northbound 710, then the Shoemaker Bridge, and finally the southbound 710. The closures are each scheduled from 10 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday. Dates have not been set.

Under the Shoemaker Bridge replacement project, the City of Long Beach has said that it will build a new, state-of-the-art bridge just south of the existing alignment that will have an elevated roundabout at its eastern end, providing direct connections to Seventh Street and Shoreline Drive.

Dedicated bike and pedestrian paths that enhance mobility and improve connections between the east and west sides of the I-710 corridor are a component of the project, according to the city.

A fact sheet about the planned bridge ramp demolition is available here. More information about the overall bridge replacement is available here.