The Vincent Thomas

by Joe Schofield

Title

The Vincent Thomas

Artist

Joe Schofield

Medium

Photograph

Description

Third largest suspension span bridge in California,
after the Golden Gate Bridge and San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, respectively.

Sold 6-5-15; 9-11-20

-- First welded (not riveted) suspension bridge in the
United States.

-- Only suspension bridge in the world supported
entirely on piles.

-- Named after Assemblyman Vincent Thomas of San
Pedro. In 1961, the California Legislature passed a
special measure to name the structure after
Thomas in honor of his persistence and faith
in the bridge's future success.

-- Designed by the Bridge Department of the
California Division of Highways, now known as
Caltrans, which owns and maintains the bridge.

-- Encompasses 2.2 miles of Los Angeles County
Route CA-47.

-- Required 92,000 tons of Portland cement, 13,000 tons of lightweight concrete,
14,100 tons of steel and 1,270 tons of suspension cable to construct.

-- When the Bridge opened in 1963, a 25-cent toll was collected in each direction.
On grand opening day, Assemblyman Thomas paid the first toll. In 1983, the toll
increased to 50 cents for westbound traffic and was free for eastbound traffic.
In 2000, the Bridge was considered paid for and the toll was repealed.

-- Painting the bridge is a routine and continuous maintenance job, handled by Caltrans,
which requires 1,500 gallons of zinc, 500 gallons of primer and 1,000 gallons
of green paint to cover the span.

-- In 1996, the Los Angeles City Council declared the Vincent Thomas Bridge as
the City of Los Angeles official welcoming monument.

VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE STATISTICS
East Brige View
Opened to traffic:

November 15, 1963
Tower Height: 365 feet; 185 feet (35 stories) above water
Length: 6,060 feet (2.2 miles)
Width (Roadway): 52 feet
Deck: 6.5 inches of concrete
Center Suspension Span: 1,500 feet
East/West Tower Spans:

506 feet
Anchor Weight: 23,000 tons each (two anchors)
San Pedro Approach:

1,838 feet
Terminal Island Approach: 1,712 feet
Vertical Clearance: 185 feet
Cables: 19; 11 interior and 8 exterior
Cable Wires: 212 per cable
Steel Piles: 990 � each supporting 145 tons
Seismic Sensors: 26
Traffic Lanes: Four two westbound and two eastbound
Traffic Count: 32,000 vehicles each weekday
Construction Cost: $21 million




VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE LIGHTING STATISTICS
Promenade Bridge LIghts

Light Color: Blue
Light Type: Clusters of tiny light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
Number of Lights: 160 lamps on the bridge; 360 LEDs per lamp
Lamp Size: Five millimeters in diameter
Lamp Brightness: Equivalent to 150-watt incandescent bulb
Power Use:

20 watts total (low usage + high-intensity light output)
Powered by:

4.5-kilowatt solar panel system each panel is two feet wide and four feet long and generates 10 watts of electric power per square foot
Maintenance:

Solid-state circuitry and robust construction enables LED lamps to withstand ocean gales and corrosive sea air for years of maintenance-free operation
Average Life: 100,000 operating hours LED lamps last 30-50 times longer than incandescent lamps and deliver a power savings of 80-90% compared to traditional lights.
Environment: Will not disrupt migratory birds
Will not burden the power grid
Non-polluting
Project Cost: $1,002,657.81
Schedule: Lights turned on from dusk to midnight every night, per California Coastal Commission requirements

Uploaded

April 7th, 2015

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