TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file report on the status of a Project Labor Agreement associated with the Gerald Desmond Bridge.
DISCUSSION
At the September 20, 2011, regular City Council meeting, Councilmembers Patrick O'Donnell, Robert Garcia, Dee Andrews and Steven Neal requested a status on discussions of a Project Labor Agreement for the Gerald Desmond Bridge project (Agenda Item #15)
The Gerald Desmond Bridge has become a vital part of the nation's infrastructure system, with nearly 15 percent of the nation's waterborne cargo trucked across the bridge. It is a critical access route for the Port of Long Beach (Port), downtown Long Beach and surrounding communities. The Gerald Desmond Bridge, which opened in 1968, is nearing the end of its intended lifespan and was not designed to handle today's traffic volumes. As a result, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Port of Long Beach have begun a project to replace the Gerald Desmond Bridge.
The $950 million project is a joint effort of Caltrans and the Port, with funding also from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). The new, cable-stayed bridge will be high enough to accommodate the newest generation of the most-efficient cargo ships. And with three lanes in each direction plus safety lanes, it will be wider and better able to serve the thousands of cars and trucks that use the bridge each day.
The Gerald Desmond Bridge has been designated as a National Highway System Intermodal Connector Route and part of the Federal Strategic Highway Network. It is a critical structure serving the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the cities of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Orange County and the nation.
Construction of the new bridge will provide significant economic benefit to Long Beach and the region. The nearly $1 billion in spending is estimated to generate economic activity of more than $2 billion in Souther...
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