LONG BEACH, California (KABC) – Former Vice President Joe Biden returned to southern California on Thursday as part of his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, visiting the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project in Long Beach before attending an evening fundraiser at Irvine.
The bridge project, whose construction for years has been hampered by delays, is expected to be completed this year. It will replace the previous span of the 1960s at the port of Long Beach with a 205-foot-high bridge designed to allow the clearance of large modern cargo ships. The original bridge is 155 feet above the water.
It will also include three traffic lanes in each direction – up from the previous two – as well as emergency lanes and a cycle-pedestrian path.
According to port officials, the bridge is also an essential route for freight trucks, with around 15 percent of sea freight imported from the country traveling over the life span.
The nearly $ 1.3 billion project, which began almost seven years ago, is said to have created some 3,000 construction jobs.
Biden was scheduled to visit the bridge shortly around 3 p.m. before going to a fundraiser in Orange County.
Meanwhile, Long Beach mayor Robert Garcia approved Biden before the scheduled visit. In a tweet, Garcia said, “Biden is ready to rule our country from day one. He will stand up for the LGBTQ community, immigrants and working class families. He can unite our party.”
Biden has also been approved by Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, who will be co-chair of the national campaign for Biden for president.
Copyright © 2020 KABC-TV. All rights reserved.
.