PORT OF LOS ANGELES AND CALTRANS COMPLETE $46 MILLION HARBOR FREEWAY CONNECTOR IMPROVEMENTS

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – May 13, 2016 – The Port of Los Angeles and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have completed a $46 million roadway improvement project in San Pedro, on time and under budget. The improvements are designed to help ease traffic congestion and improve safety at key access points to the northbound I-110 (Harbor Freeway).

Improvements include widening of SR-47 (Seaside Freeway) connector to the Harbor Freeway with an additional lane, and modifying the freeway ramps at John S. Gibson Boulevard. These enhancements will eliminate the congestion and weaving that previously occurred when slow moving, on-ramp traffic from San Pedro merged into fast moving traffic coming off the Vincent Thomas Bridge from Long Beach.

The $46 million project also involved adding bike lanes and sidewalks on John S. Gibson Boulevard, sound wall construction, widening of Channel Street and Pacific Avenue bridges, as well as railroad realignment.

Approximately $24.2 million of the project was funded through grants. These included $7.4 million from Metro; $13.2 million from the State Trade Corridors Improvement Fund (TCIF); and $3.6 million from a SAFETEA-LU federal grant. The remaining project costs were funded by the Port of Los Angeles.

Another project to improve the flow of traffic from the Harbor Freeway is the C Street/I-110 Access Ramp Improvements, which includes the reconfiguration of the C Street on and off-ramps to provide improved access to Harry Bridges Blvd., John S. Gibson Blvd., and Figueroa Street in Wilmington. This project should be completed by September 2016.

The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovatively strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $270 billion in trade during 2015. Port operations and commerce facilitate more than 133,000 jobs (about one in 14) in the City of Los Angeles and 479,000 jobs (or one in 18) in the five-county Southern California region. The San Pedro Bay Ports support nearly 1 million California jobs and 2.8 million nationwide.