Long Beach’s Shoemaker Bridge is officially on borrowed time. The span and the Ninth and 10th Street ramps that feed the northbound 710 are set to close permanently on May 4 as crews clear the way for a major on-dock rail expansion at the Port of Long Beach. Drivers should expect detours, changeable message signs, and periodic weekend shutdowns around downtown Long Beach.
What’s closing and when
The port has announced that the Shoemaker Bridge approaches will shut down for good, including the Ninth and 10th Street on- and off-ramps that connect to the northbound 710, with demolition to follow in the summer of 2026, according to MyNewsLA. Changeable message and detour signs are expected to be in place to steer motorists through the new traffic patterns.
The Shoemaker Bridge will be taken out of service beginning May 4 so the work zone is clear before heavier demolition activity ramps up.
Why the port is doing it
The ramp removals are tied to the Port’s Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, a multiyear effort to boost on-dock rail capacity so more cargo moves by train instead of truck, easing congestion and cutting emissions, as reported by AJOT. Port officials frame the project as a key step in keeping freight flowing while taking pressure off local freeways and neighborhoods.
The Port has earmarked more than $1.28 billion for Pier B within a larger $3.2 billion capital plan that planners say will modernize the seaport over the next decade, according to Progressive Railroading. Port leaders say the expanded rail yard is designed to handle expected cargo growth while pulling some truck traffic off nearby roads.
Traffic and closures
To actually remove the elevated ramps, crews will need three temporary weekend shutdowns this summer: first the northbound 710 connector, then the Shoemaker Bridge itself, and finally the southbound 710, according to a port summary cited by ILWU Local 63. Each closure is expected to run from 10:00 p.m. Friday to 4:00 a.m. Monday, although specific dates have not yet been announced…