Project Description/Overview

A half-mile-long bridge that carries Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) traffic over the Alameda Corridor freight rail expressway, a branch rail line and Alameda Street in the Los Angeles port-area community of Wilmington.  The $107 million project was funded by Caltrans ($79 million), ACTA ($14 million) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA, $14 million). It was completed $15 million under budget in March 2004.

Benefits

The project eliminated two railroad crossings on Alameda Street to:

• Improve traffic flow and ease congestion.
• Reduce emissions from idling trucks and cars.
• Enhance safety by eliminating conflicts between trains, trucks, cars and pedestrians.
• Improve emergency vehicle access.

Schedule

• Full-scale construction began: June 1, 2003.
• Grand-opening ceremony: March 4, 2004.
• Bridge opened to traffic:  March 5, 2004.

Detour

• Construction required PCH to be closed to through traffic between Terminal Island Freeway (SR-103) and Alameda Street from late May 2003 to March 2004.
• Access was achieved across Alameda Street using Terminal Island Freeway, Sepulveda Boulevard, Colon Street and Coil Avenue.
• Extensive steps were taken to minimize inconveniences to the public, including maintaining access to all businesses, as well as adding and synchronizing temporary traffic signals and turn lanes, and restriping roads to maintain traffic flow along the detour route.

Governance

The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) managed design and construction under a cooperative agreement with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).  ACTA – a joint powers authority governed by the cities and ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the MTA – delivered the $2.4 billion Alameda Corridor project on time and on budget in April 2002.