Gerald Desmond Bridge construction in Long Beach delayed

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Anyone who uses the Gerald Desmond Bridge to get around faces detours these days. Work is underway to replace the structure.

"It can be rough, there's a lot of traffic down here, with the big rigs and everybody coming to and from the port, it can be really congested at times," said Joshua Hauptmann of Whittier.

The first cable-stayed bridge in California was expected to open in late 2016 with new traffic lanes and an increase in height from 155 to 200 feet to handle bigger ships. Now drivers will have to wait at least a year longer into 2017 or mid-2018 to use it.

Port officials say varying soil conditions not detected during initial testing have caused part of the delay.

"The soil conditions vary greatly from section to section, so almost each section of foundation became its own design in and of itself," said John Pope, spokesman for the Port of Long Beach.

Harbor commissioners learned of the delay during a recent meeting. Port officials say the holdup is also due to the tower designs.

"This is a 100-year bridge and it's being built in a very challenging environment, and it's built to withstand major Southern California earthquakes, so we really want to make sure that we get the design right," Pope said.

The bridge carries nearly 15 percent of the country's cargo. The construction now costs $1.2 billion -- which is $300 million over budget.

So far, it's not clear how much the delay could cost the Port of Long Beach. Officials say they should have a better idea later this month.