Henry Ford Bridge

Gazing up at this towering structure, one might wonder how many tons of steel and concrete went into its making. This, my friends, is the Henry Ford Bridge. It’s not just a bridge, it’s a vital artery connecting San Pedro to Terminal Island, a steel sentinel watching over the bustling Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. The Henry Ford Bridge, sometimes called the Badger Avenue Bridge, has a history as fascinating as the ships that pass beneath it. Originally built in 1924, it wasn’t always the towering vertical-lift bridge we see today. It started life as a bascule bridge, designed by the same brilliant mind behind the Golden Gate Bridge, Joseph Baermann Strauss. Imagine two massive leaves, each 110 feet long, rising to allow ships passage. These leaves formed a single-span Warren through-truss, flanked by 50-foot tower spans and 200-foot timber approaches. The bridge was essential for operations at the Ford Long Beach Assembly plant, which opened in 1930. For decades, the Henry Ford Bridge faithfully served the port, its bascule leaves rising and falling like a mechanical heartbeat. However, time marches on, and so does progress. By 1996, the old bascule bridge had reached the end of its lifespan. It was dismantled and replaced with the modern vertical-lift bridge that stands before us. The new bridge, with a clearance of 165 feet, allows even the largest modern vessels to pass underneath. So, the next time you see the Henry Ford Bridge, remember its dual identities. Recall the elegant bascule bridge of yesteryear and appreciate the modern marvel that serves the ports today. It’s a testament to engineering ingenuity and the ever-evolving needs of a busy harbor.