Henry Ford Bridge Explained

Bridge Name:Henry Ford Bridge
Also Known As:Badger Avenue Bridge
Carries:Pacific Harbor Line
Crosses:Cerritos Channel
Locale:Long Beach & Terminal Island,
Los Angeles Harbor Region,
Los Angeles County, California
Design:1924–1996: bascule bridge
1996–present: vertical-lift bridge
Open:1924

The Henry Ford Bridge, also known as the Badger Avenue Bridge, is a bridge located in Los Angeles County, Southern California. It carries the Pacific Harbor Line railroad across the Cerritos Channel to Terminal Island from San Pedro, to serve the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. It was built to accommodate operations at the Ford Long Beach Assembly plant which opened in 1930 and was closed in 1959.

The original 1924 bascule bridge was dismantled and replaced in 1996 by a vertical-lift bridge.[1]

Bascule bridge

The contract for the bascule bridge was placed by The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners in 1922. The bridge was designed by Joseph Baermann Strauss and fabricated by the American Bridge Company.[2]

It was formed of a pair of 110feet trunnion bascule leaves which formed a one span Warren through-truss. There were two tower spans and two timber approaches.[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CA-103 Commodore Schuyler F. Heim/Henry Ford Bridge . May 28, 2013.
  2. Web site: Port of Los Angeles Visual History Tour - Badger Avenue Bridge . May 28, 2013.
  3. Web site: Henry Ford Bridge . February 6, 2012 . May 28, 2013.