Rebuilding the Gerald Desmond bridge

The afternoon shadow of a giant crane runs along the path the new bridge will take, next to the Gerald Desmond bridge, at right.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Dennis Wolcott of the Port of Long Beach makes his way along a rebar tube, which will be used to create pylons for construction of the new Gerald Desmond bridge. The old bridge can been seen at right.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A Port of Long Beach crew member pressure-sprays an old pipe that the team extracted from an abandoned oil well, in preparation for construction. The old oil well pipe has to be removed before they can pour pylons to support the new bridge.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Port of Long Beach crew members move cable into place as they use a giant crane to drill into the earth to retrieve old pipe from an abandoned oil well.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

About 23 abandoned oil wells lie in the path of the new Gerald Desmond bridge’s foundations, all of which the crew must remove before construction can move forward.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A giant corkscrew digging machine is being used by Port of Long Beach crew members as they remove pipe from an old oil well in Long Beach.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A giant carrier ship, left, begins to pass under the Gerald Desmond bridge, which runs between Terminal Island and Long Beach. Many ships have trouble navigating beneath the existing bridge.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

The Port of Long Beach crew uses this machine’s cutting teeth to bore into the ground to reach the oil wells.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A tractor, lower left, runs along the course of the new Gerald Desmond bridge, between the old bridge and a power plant.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A giant crane swings a hook to pick up metal plating in preparation for constructing the new bridge.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Crew members prepare for the work day’s end after spending the day removing pipe from an abandoned oil well along the path of the new Gerald Desmond bridge.  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)