- Meeting on Cooperative Agreement Rescheduled to Feb. 19: A community meeting on the Cooperative Agreement between the South Coast AQMD and the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles has been rescheduled as a hybrid online/in-person meeting on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. The location and online details have not yet been announced; please visit www.aqmd.gov/portsagreement for details. The current Cooperative Agreement is an enforceable contract that focuses on planning and implementation of zero-emission port infrastructure. The purpose of this meeting is to provide a forum for interactive discussions of potential additional measures that will facilitate near- and long-term emission reductions in port emissions.
- Contractor Hired For Shoemaker Ramp Demo: The Port of Long Beach has tapped the engineering and construction firm of Stacy Witbeck to demolish the Shoemaker Bridge ramps over the Long Beach (710) Freeway to make way for future utility and rail infrastructure work on the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility Program. The demolition is the fourth in a series of 10 construction projects that make up the Port’s $1.8 billion program to expand and modernize the existing Pier B rail facility. The new facility will allow the Port to triple the volume of containerized cargo that moves to and from its terminals by on-dock rail, reducing truck traffic and easing freeway commutes. Under a competitive bidding process, Stacy Witbeck was awarded a $22 million contract to demolish and remove the Ninth and 10th Street ramps over the freeway that connect to Shoemaker Bridge. The work is slated to begin later this year and be completed in mid-2027. The Port has launched a public information campaign to inform motorists of road closures and alternate routes due to begin this summer. More information is available here. Separately, the City of Long Beach is moving forward with its own project to replace the 72-year-old bridge with a new span.
- Tidal Gauge Station Planned: To enhance navigation and strengthen business continuity, the Port of Long Beach will soon have its own tidal gauge station. The fixed monitoring installation measures and reports sea surface heights to provide real-time data for safe navigation, hydrographic surveys, coastal engineering and three-dimensional geographic reference systems. The data is transmitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s national databases, including those used by Jacobsen Pilot Service to escorts ships in and out of Port waters. Due to be completed in the next several months, the project has a $500,000 budget and is funded by Harbor Maintenance Tax revenue. The station will be located on Pier F near Fireboat Station No. 15. To date, the San Pedro Bay ports have relied on a tidal gauge station on the west side of the Port of Los Angeles.
- Port Officials to Serve on ICTF-JPA Board: CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba will represent the Port of Long Beach on the governing board of the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility Joint Powers Authority, and Casey Hehr, Managing Director of the Port’s Commercial Services Bureau, will serve as his alternate. Additionally, Sam Joumblat, the Port’s Managing Director of Finance and Administration, will serve a five-year term as the ICTF’s executive director, a position held by Hacegaba until his promotion to Port CEO and appointment to the ICTF-JPA’s governing board. The ICTF is a near-dock rail yard operated by Union Pacific Railroad that handles intermodal cargo between the San Pedro Bay ports and destinations throughout the U.S. The governing board is comprised of representatives from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners made the appointments in January.
- Drywall Plant Demolition Approved: The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has approved a project to demolish the site of a former drywall production, warehouse and storage plant. Operations date back to 1964 when the original leaseholder, National Gypsum Co., developed the 17-acre property at 1850 Pier B St. to manufacture gypsum board, drywall plaster and related finishing products. Under a corporate reorganization, Gold Bond Building Products LLC took over the lease and operations in 2021. The lease terminated in 2024, prompting Gold Bond to seek a permit to remove all improvements and restore the site to a condition equivalent or better than when the drywall operations began. Prior to approving the project, the Harbor Commission adopted a finding that related mitigation measures will ensure there will be no significant environmental impacts. The Port currently has no plans to redevelop the site.
- Port is Partner on Long Beach Amphitheater: The Port of Long Beach will serve as the first Official Founding Partner of the Long Beach Amphitheater, a new outdoor venue due to open this summer near the Queen Mary and Harry Bridges Memorial Park on Pier H. Under the five-year, $650,000 advertising agreement, the Port will have premium marketing, promotional, business and community outreach opportunities at the city’s first open-air music venue. The state-of-the-art amphitheater will have a seating capacity of up to 10,000 and feature world-class concerts and large-scale community programs. The facility is being promoted as Southern California’s newest premier cultural and entertainment destination.
- New Ramps to SR-47 Opened: As part of the ongoing state Route (SR) 47 project, the Port of Los Angeles has opened a new northbound on-ramp to the Harbor (110) Freeway and a new southbound off-ramp from SR-47 at Front Street/Harbor Boulevard. Two older ramps at Harbor Boulevard are closed for the next seven months. The project is realigning roadways to improve safety, access and efficient circulation of traffic through the heavily traveled SR-47/Vincent Thomas Bridge and Front Street/Harbor Boulevard interchange. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. More information on changes and detours is available here. The project is separate from the Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project led by Caltrans. Updates on the deck project, which is due to begin later this year, are available here. When construction begins, the bridge is expected to be closed for 16 months.
Source: Port of Long Beach