Everything about The Vincent Thomas Bridge totally explained
The
Vincent Thomas Bridge is a long
suspension bridge crossing the
Los Angeles Harbor in the
U.S. state of
California, linking
San Pedro, Los Angeles, with
Terminal Island. The bridge is signed as part of
State Route 47. It is named for California Assemblyman
Vincent Thomas of San Pedro.
History and description
Throughout the bridge's construction and in the early years after its opening, it was derided as a "bridge to nowhere." In the 1970s, however, its importance drastically increased as the ports of Los Angeles and
Long Beach displaced those of the
San Francisco Bay Area as the principal port on the West Coast. Today, the Vincent Thomas Bridge carries a considerable volume of truck traffic from the southernmost slips of the
Port of Los Angeles, in San Pedro, onto the
Terminal Island Freeway and eventually to the southern end of the
Long Beach Freeway; from there, freight goes from the port complex to the rail yards of
East Los Angeles and the
Inland Empire.
When the bridge opened in 1963, the toll was 25 cents in each direction. In 1983, the toll increased to 50 cents for westbound traffic but became free for eastbound traffic. By 2000, the Vincent Thomas Bridge was one of only two toll bridges remaining in Southern California (the other being the
San Diego-Coronado Bridge in
San Diego), during which year tolls on the Vincent Thomas Bridge were removed completely. After the San Diego-Coronado Bridge stopped collecting tolls in 2002, the
California Department of Transportation was able to devolve authority over toll bridges to the
Bay Area Toll Authority in June 2005.
The Catalina Terminal (Berth 95), the location for all of San Pedro's departing ferries and helicopters to
Santa Catalina Island, is located underneath the western part of the bridge.
In popular culture
The bridge is featured in the climax of the movie
Gone in Sixty Seconds, starring
Nicolas Cage, and in a scene of the 2000 movie
Charlie's Angels where
Cameron Diaz and
Crispin Glover face off in two racecars.
The bridge is also featured in the classic episode of
CHiPs titled "Taking Its Toll". The bridge is also seen in a scene in
National Security .
The film
To Live and Die in L.A., released in 1985, makes extensive use of the bridge. Early in the film, Richard Chance (
William Petersen), on a bet (and for the thrill of it), makes a jump off the bridge using a safety line. Throughout the film the bridge can be seen in the background from the house of Chance's girlfriend/informant Ruth Lanier (
Darlanne Fluegel). During the end credits, a continuous shot shows the bridge being crossed in the eastbound direction.
The bridge was sometimes visible in opening scenes of the television show
The Love Boat, as Princess Lines' Los Angeles passenger terminal was (and still is) located near the bridge.
Photos
Image:Vincent Thomas Bridge aerial view.jpg|Vincent Thomas Bridge and the Port of Los Angeles
Further Information
Get more info on 'Vincent Thomas Bridge'.
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