ANNOUNCEMENTS

Top Bridge Project Moments: No. 1 ‘Opening Ceremony’

On Oct. 2, 2020, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna and Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero led the dedication of the new bridge during a virtual opening ceremony that included a live caravan of green trucks, a dramatic vintage aircraft flyover and boat parade that featured water-spouting fireboats and cannon fire from the three-masted American Pride schooner.



The livestreamed commemoration featured a coordinated procession via land, sea and air highlighted by a “first drive” over the bridge led by 30 low- and zero-emissions cargo trucks representing the Port’s terminals and major shipping lines and 34 classic cars highlighting the 109-year history of the Port. The procession included the debut of Volvo’s battery-electric heavy-duty cargo truck that, along with other truck manufacturers building the latest zero- and low-emission vehicles, will help the Port of Long Beach achieve its clean air goals by 2035.



The ceremony included a five-plane formation of the Torrance-based Tiger Squadron — historic warplanes offering a tribute to the Port’s prior legacy as a major U.S. Navy base — as well as a boat parade led fireboats, police boats, tugs and other vessels from state and federal agencies.



The broadcast, which included video segments on how the bridge was built, was hosted by Dr. Noel Hacegaba and Richard Cameron, deputy executive directors for the Port of Long Beach. Among the speakers who provided pre-taped remarks were the following: California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, CA Secretary of Transportation David Kim; Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin; U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal; CA state Senator Lena Gonzalez; CA state Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell; Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn; Los Angeles Mayor and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair Eric Garcetti; International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 13 President Ramon Ponce de Leon; California Transportation Commission Chair Hilary Norton; and, Executive Secretary of the Los Angeles-Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council Ron Miller.