Plans for 26-foot hoist to raise Vincent Thomas Bridge rejected

Construction on the Vincent Thomas Bridge near the Port of Los Angeles is slated to begin next month, but the project will not include a 26-foot bridge hoist that port officials were hoping for.

- By CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN

Port Executive Director Gene Seroka proposed raising the bridge earlier this year amid existing plans from the California Department of Transportation to re-deck the emerald green overpass connecting San Pedro to Terminal Island and Long Beach.

Raising the bridge would allow larger, more efficient ships to travel underneath carrying cargo. About 40% of the port’s cargo capacity is beyond the bridge, which is 185 feet high.

The California State Transportation Agency, the cabinet-level agency that oversees Caltrans, nixed the suggestion last month, saying the deck replacement had to begin as soon as possible.

“Vincent Thomas Bridge is scheduled for a much-needed re-decking project beginning in January of 2026 and ending in advance of the L.A. 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement.