To create a legacy time-lapse video of the bridge over the 7-year duration of its building, the Bridge Project communications team had installed three time-lapse cameras and accompanying livestreaming cameras at strategic locations around the construction site back in 2013. One camera was installed on the roof of the World Trade Center in downtown Long Beach and offers the best singular view of the entire bridge and surrounding area.
The two other cameras were installed on Pier A, directly north of the bridge and shooting down the Back Channel at the center of the bridge, and on Pier T, on the south side of bridge shooting from lot of the Bridge Project’s field office. The Pier A camera was primarily meant to capture the progressing construction of the approach structures and main span, while the Pier T camera offers a terrific comparison angle of the old and new bridges.
After capturing 7 years of time-lapse footage from all three cameras, it was compiled into a 1-minute, 48-second video that recaps the whole construction process (see above link), beginning in September 2013 and going until September 2020. A few fun observations to look for:
- At the :25 mark, note how quickly the two towers rise out of the ground.
- At the :40 mark, the approach structures come into the frame, headed toward the main span.
- At the :49 mark, the main-span construction appears from multiple angles, giving a great perspective on how the balanced-canteliver building progressed.
- At the 1:26 mark, the tower cranes come down and the Bridge Project heads toward opening to traffic.
