FCC-led joint venture to be awarded €498-million contract in Los Angeles

MADRID | The joint venture team headed by FCC Construction, Shimmick Construction Company and Impregilo won the bid for the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project design-build contract, Port of Long Beach and Caltrans officials announced. Major participants in the proposal included Arup North America  and Biggs Cardosa Associates.

A decision by the Port’s Board of Harbor Commissioners on the actual award of the contract is expected in late June, with construction kickoff set in early 2013, and final design starting soon after the contract is signed. The total cost of the overall bridge replacement project is estimated at about $1 billion, including site preparation, demolition and other considerations.

“This is a vital project for improving traffic flow for the nation’s busiest port complex and downtown Long Beach commuters,” said Doug Thiessen, the Port’s Managing Director of Engineering. “It was critical that this contract deliver the best bridge at the most competitive price.”

The bridge replacement, designed to ease traffic congestion and improve safety, is being jointly procured by the Port and Caltrans. The Port, Caltrans, Metro and the U.S. Department of Transportation are all contributing funds to the project.

The Gerald Desmond Bridge is a vital link in the US’s trade system and a major commuter corridor. But the bridge, built in the 1960s, was not designed to handle today’s traffic volumes and is deteriorating. The replacement project will ensure the safety of commuters and truck drivers and protect Southern California’s important role as a major trading hub.

Construction is expected to last five years and generate, on average, 4,000 jobs per year.