Compton officials celebrate re-opening of the Artesia Bridge

Compton, CA – On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the City of Compton held a ceremony to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Artesia Bridge for public use.

Over 100 community members are expected to attend the re-opening of the bridge with special appearances from the Compton Fire firefighters and the Compton High School band.

For four years, the bridge was closed to the public. It was not until Sen. Steve Bradford and Assemblyman Mike Gipson made a push for funds so that the bridge would get repaired and be up and running again for the public to use. 

Thanks to the efforts of Bradford and Gipson, the repair project of the bridge received $12 million from the state. Officials in attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Bradford, Gipson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Compton City Manager Willie A. Hopkins Jr., and members of the Compton City Council.  

In December 2020, it was damaged in a fire that rendered the bridge unsafe to use and caused the city to close off access to the bridge. The Artesia Bridge is a critical thoroughfare that connects to the California State Route 91, to the Port of Long Beach, many neighboring cities, and surrounding communities.

The closure has impacted local businesses, goods movement, and public safety. Some local businesses have reported losses of $150,000 to $400,000 per week in sales due to the bridge closure.

Bradford and Gipson advocated to the state legislature to include the request of repairing the bridge, as one of California’s top ten priority budget requests to Governor Gavin Newsom in the budget for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

As a result, the project was awarded $12 million in state funds for bridge repair. The bridge will be open to the public on Oct. 31.

Photo caption:

Bridge: (L-R) Sen. Steve Bradford, Compton City Councilwoman Lillie P. Darden and Assemblyman Mike Gipson, show off the $12 million award that helped fund the repair project of the Artesia Bridge. Bradford, Darden and Gipson were among the dignitaries who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the bridge’s re-opening on Oct. 29, 2024.