Port of Long Beach extends terminal gate hours to aid cargo movement during the Vincent Thomas Bridge closure, enhancing shipping flexibility.
The Port of Long Beach has expanded access to its container terminals, giving shippers more ways to move cargo during the upcoming Vincent Thomas Bridge closure. Participating terminals are keeping truck gates open during extended hours, adding capacity for cargo owners, freight forwarders, and importers working to keep goods moving on schedule.
Beginning in late October, ahead of the Nov. 7 closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the Port of Los Angeles, participating marine terminals are opening their truck gates on evenings and Saturdays. The extended hours will continue for six weeks, excluding the week of Thanksgiving.
The bridge closure is part of Caltrans' 16-month deck replacement project on the Vincent Thomas Bridge. Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba announced the expanded gate hours in a video message. He stated that the Port is offering the program to reduce potential impacts on cargo and traffic flow during construction.
For cargo owners, the added evening and Saturday windows provide greater flexibility in scheduling container pickups and deliveries. This flexibility helps them keep transit plans on track and meet commitments to their customers. For freight forwarders and importers, the expanded hours create more options for routing drayage moves and timing inventory arrivals while traffic patterns shift around the bridge closure. Drayage refers to the short-distance trucking of containers to and from the port.
Long Beach Harbor Commission President Steven Neal credited the Port's terminal operators for making the program possible. 'I want to thank our marine terminal operators for stepping up to the plate and showing our customers that their business is valuable and important to us,' Neal said. 'The Port of Long Beach will be open throughout the Vincent Thomas Bridge closure, moving cargo with the efficiency our customers appreciate.' Hacegaba emphasized the value of flexibility for businesses that depend on the Port.
'We know that time and flexibility are important to our customers when it comes to moving cargo and running a business,' Hacegaba said. 'We are proud to do this in partnership with our marine terminal operators, the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, and the Harbor Trucking Association. We have been proactive in planning for this closure, working closely with the port community to minimize impacts to traffic and cargo flow.'
