LONG BEACH, CALIF. — View of Interstate 710 (Long Beach Freeway) from the Willow St. overpass looking north on August 26, 2009. The growth of cargo trucks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has added an enormous amount of truck traffic to the Long Beach Freeway, since it is the most direct route between the port complex and the railyards in Vernon and East Los Angeles, as well as the Pomona and San Bernardino freeways. It has also become a major source of air pollution, emanating from diesel-fueled trucks idling in rush hour traffic congestion and giving cities along its route some of the worst air quality in Southern California.
Caltrans and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority have called for an expansion of the segment of the freeway between the San Diego (I-405) and Pomona (SR-60) Freeways. It would include dedicated truck lanes, elevated carpool lanes and up to 10 lanes for general traffic. By using existing right-of-way along the Los Angeles River.
Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram