Vincent Thomas Bridge Closes for 16 Months in $753 Million Port Deck Rebuild

Caltrans shut the San Pedro–Terminal Island span at 12:01 a.m. Saturday; trucks and commuters face detours through March 2028 while the concrete deck is replaced.

By Herald Staff · Nov. 7, 2026, 11:30 AM ET

The turquoise Vincent Thomas Bridge spans Los Angeles Harbor past stacked shipping containers and blue port cranes under a clear sky, with a two-lane harbor road curving toward the San Pedro approach. — The Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro carries State Route 47 between the harbor community and Terminal Island. Caltrans closed the span at 12:01 a.m. Saturday for a 16-month deck replacement. Photo: Ken Lund (cropped) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (license).

SAN PEDRO — The emerald-green Vincent Thomas Bridge closed to all traffic at 12:01 a.m. Saturday for a 16-month deck replacement that Caltrans says will cost about $753 million, cutting a main truck and commute link between San Pedro and Terminal Island at the heart of the San Pedro Bay port complex, according to Caltrans and City News Service via ABC7.

The bridge, which carries State Route 47 across Los Angeles Harbor, averages about 53,000 vehicles a day. Nearly 9% of that traffic is heavy trucks, Caltrans said. The agency expects the span to reopen March 1, 2028.

Why the Bridge Is Closing

Opened in 1963, the suspension bridge remains structurally sound, but its concrete deck has worn under decades of heavy loads and salt air. Caltrans describes the damage as concrete fatigue from traffic plus environmental deterioration from age and the marine setting, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing the project website.

The job will replace the entire bridge deck, center median, railings, fencing, lighting and signage, and upgrade seismic sensors. Skanska-CEC Joint Venture is the general contractor under a construction manager/general contractor delivery method, Caltrans said in its Nov. 3 release. The agency put the project cost at $752.8 million; the Port of Los Angeles rounds the figure to $753 million.

How Cargo and Commuters Are Expected to Move

Port officials say all Port of Los Angeles terminals will stay open, with no expected hit to terminal productivity, cargo flow or capacity, and no impact to rail cargo through the complex. Only about 8% of port-complex drayage trucks use the Vincent Thomas Bridge, the port said, though local detours may add time for those drivers.

Drivers are being sent primarily along Interstates 710 and 110, State Route 103 and Harry Bridges Boulevard. The detour path to and from Terminal Island runs along Front Street and John S. Gibson Boulevard in San Pedro and Harry Bridges Boulevard and Henry Ford Avenue in Wilmington, the Times reported. Caltrans said it already resurfaced and restriped detour roads, installed traffic cameras and placed temporary signals.

During the shutdown, traffic control officers will cover 18 key intersections as needed, and local police will step up commercial truck enforcement. Caltrans is urging drivers to skip unnecessary trips near the project, use transit when they can, leave extra commute time and check Caltrans QuickMap for live conditions.

Harbor Communities Brace for 16 Months

“Caltrans has been working hand-in-hand with our partners, residential and business communities, and all stakeholders in preparation for the 16-month closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge,” Gloria Roberts, Caltrans District 7 director, said in a statement. “Our investment to replace the bridge deck will keep our communities connected and commerce moving through the San Pedro Bay Port Complex and the nation.”

City Councilman Tim McOsker, whose district includes San Pedro and Wilmington, framed the closure as a long haul for neighbors as much as for freight. “For 16 months, this closure will have a significant impact on the people who live and work in our Harbor communities,” he said in a statement carried by ABC7. “We've worked closely with Caltrans to keep detour traffic out of our residential neighborhoods and secure road repairs and traffic enforcement. We'll stay closely involved throughout the closure to address problems as they arise.”

A separate $139 million SR 47 Interchange Project, led jointly by the Port of Los Angeles and Caltrans District 7, has been rebuilding nearby ramps to cut travel times and improve safety; new on- and off-ramps finished in January and October 2026, the port said. That work sits beside the deck replacement but is a distinct project.

What Comes Next

With the full closure now in force between Harbor Boulevard and Ferry Street — including related approaches at Harbor Boulevard, southbound Interstate 110 and Miraflores Avenue — construction enters its main phase: tearing out and rebuilding the concrete roadway while the span stays dark to cars and trucks. After traffic returns in early 2028, Caltrans plans a final phase to remove temporary work platforms and install new seismic sensors and utilities, according to the agency's fact sheet.

For harbor businesses, truckers and San Pedro residents, the next year and a third will be a test of the traffic plan Caltrans and the port spent years negotiating with shipping companies, labor unions and neighborhood groups. Terminals are supposed to keep moving cargo. Whether neighborhood streets stay clear of cut-through trucks, and how much time the detours add to a typical port run, will show up in the weeks ahead.

Original reporting by The Los Angeles Herald, drawing on Caltrans, the Port of Los Angeles, City News Service via ABC7 and the Los Angeles Times, as linked above.