Wilmington residents say it’s dangerous to walk to a new waterfront park. The solution is coming

Contractors are expected to get the green light Monday from the Port of L.A. to start transforming 12 acres of densely industrial land next to the Wilmington waterfront into a green space called the Avalon Bridge Project and Gateway.

Residents say the project can’t be done soon enough.

“Right now, it's not safe to walk from downtown Wilmington all the way to the waterfront,” said Salvador Lara, who’s lived in Wilmington for 35 years and works for a nonprofit that does clean-ups in the neighborhood.

Until 2024, most Wilmington residents had little reason to walk to the waterfront. That year, officials unveiled the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade, a 9-acre open space with picnic areas, grass and a public dock.

Now, residents go there to enjoy the park and trails, as well as free events such as wellness fairs and Dia de los Reyes celebrations. But access remains a problem.

Lucia Moreno-Linares, a Wilmington resident and former L.A. Harbor Commissioner, points to last year’s Shakespeare-by-the-sea event as a good example of the challenge.

“Most people used their car to get there, especially because it was in the evening,” she said. Yet for many residents, it would not have been a long walk, if there was a way to get through the industrial area safely."

She expects the bridge project will make a big difference.

“When the bridge is finished, I think we'll have a better turnout for that event,” she said.

Public officials broke ground in February on the Avalon Bridge Project and Gateway.

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Courtesy Port of L.A.

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The 380-foot bridge will give pedestrians and bicyclists a way to safely cross over working rail lines and avoid port traffic to get to the promenade. The concrete bridge will feature a cable-stayed arch structure.

The Avalon Bridge Project is expected to be completed in 2028. It's part of the Port of L.A.'s decade-old Public Access Investment Plan that's set aside $400 million for waterfront and education projects, including the promenade, the bridge project and San Pedro Town Square. One construction will be a massive sundial.

A rendering of the Avalong Bridge Project and Gateway. It's meant to help people avoid train tracks and truck traffic to walk to a watefront park.

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Courtesy Port of L.A.

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A rendering shows what part of the Avalon Bridge Project is expected to look like when finished in 2028.

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Courtesy Port of L.A.

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The access problems residents hope the bridge project will fix

Just north of the promenade and the future gateway project lie the dense residential and business districts whose roots go back to the mid-19th century.

But the harbor grew massively in the 20th century, with railroad tracks and heavy container truck traffic popping up between those residents and the water.

Now that the waterfront promenade includes places for people to walk, ride their bikes and grass on which to lay a picnic blanket, the industrial area acts as a barrier.

The Avalon Bridge Project gives pedestrians a way to safely skip over those hurdles. It's designed to improve the quality of life of residents, who for generations have sacrificed a lot for being on the doorstep of the massive Port of L.A.

“What makes this project special is that it's all about more than just building infrastructure,” said Port of L.A. executive director Gene Seroka at a recent briefing. “It's about giving Wilmington residents direct access to their own waterfront and creating spaces where the community can gather and connect.”