Senate Designates Long Beach's International Gateway Bridge

LONG BEACH, CA —The California Senate approved the Port of Long Beach's new cable-stayed span's official name as the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, Wednesday.

The bridge, which opened in October 2020, connects Terminal Island to downtown Long Beach and replaced the Gerald Desmond Bridge.

“Like our Port and its workers, this iconic bridge represents the very best of Long Beach,” said Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell. “The International Gateway Bridge connects our great community and state to the entire world. With a fitting new name, our Port will handle the largest cargo ships and meet the ever-increasing demands of today’s global supply chain.”

After The Port of Long Beach sold ownership of the bridge to Caltrans, the responsibility of naming the bridge was given to the state legislature. O'Donnell authored the bill for the name after a public survey was conducted last year, and it was unanimously approved by the Senate and Assembly.

Reaching 515 feet tall, the six-lane bridge was constructed to accommodate large cargo vessels and was made wider than its predecessor to improve commuter traffic. Demolition for the Gerald Desmond Bridge started in July and is projected to be done by the end of 2023.