Vincent Thomas Bridge closing until 2028

We have a $750 million renovation about to shake up traffic in the South Bay. Busy Vincent Thomas Bridge will close for 16 months starting this weekend. The bridge sees tens of thousands of daily drivers, but all that changes starting Saturday. Fox 11's Rachel Aragon live with more about the work being done and the impact on the area. Rachel. Hey, Christine. Yeah, that big beach closure you just mentioned is starting this coming Saturday. And we also know that the bridge will not reopen until at least March of 2028. But Caltrans says right now the bridge is structurally sound, but there's a much needed and important maintenance that needs to be done. We're right at the strip mall right before you get to the bridge. For over four decades, 77 year old Herberto and his family have been running the original Las Breras in San Pedro. His daughter Hillary Mejia says the beloved Mexican restaurant has weathered everything from recessions to even COVID. I feel like this is gonna be another challenge, another uncertainty for small businesses. But there's a big concern for what's to come Saturday, the start of a 16 month closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which Caltrans says will allow crews to start replacing the aging bridge deck. Once completed, it will not only provide a new, smooth and reliable roadway, it will also modernize other important safety features on the bridge, such as the median barrier, the railing. Caltrans says the well-known green bridge connecting San Pedro to the port of Los Angeles sees a lot of traffic. On average, about 53,000 vehicles per day, with nearly 9% of the daily traffic being heavy trucks. And it's constantly going. You could go over that bridge at two in the morning. I mean, there's just people that work. The agency acknowledging the closure won't be disruptive, but says it's settled on the 16th month closure after much engagement with residents, stakeholders, and elected officials. Who all agreed that We can accept this disruption of 16 months because the bridge is vital for commerce and for transportation in the area. And the other alternatives would have required partial closures of the bridge for much longer than 16 months. Keldron says they're working to minimize the traffic impact with detours and traffic control officers deployed at key intersections to help the traffic flow. And Hillary says she hopes the community continues to support small businesses despite the closure and congestion. They don't get discouraged because of the closure, that they continue to come and visit. San Pedro has a lot of highlights and special places to visit. We are one of them. Now, Caltron also says that they've done some road improvements on the anticipated detour rounds, but they're still encouraging people, of course, to anticipate some extra drive time for your commute when that closure officially begins. Pretty live in San Pedro tonight. I'm Rachel Aragon, Fox 11 News.