A Bridge to the World: SoCal’s First-Ever Texas U-Turn

A truly innovative feature of the Gerald Desmond Bridge project is the “Port Access Under Crossing” or PAUC, a tunnel near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and SR-47 in Terminal Island that enables motorists headed west to make safe U-turn without stopping at a traffic signal to go east toward the city or into the Pier T complex.   One of the innovative features of the Bridge Project is a “Texas U-turn” at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and SR-47 on Terminal Island.

Common in the Lone Star State, a Texas U-turn is a lane that enables vehicles traveling on one side of a one-way frontage road to U-turn onto the opposite frontage road (typically crossing over or under a freeway or expressway). In this case, the U-turn will run under Ocean Boulevard overpass on Terminal Island to allow trucks and other vehicles unabated movement onto Pier T or eastbound Ocean Boulevard over the bridge. This roadway accelerates goods movement for truckers and Port tenants in the area, and provides safe and smoother driving through the intersection for everyone. 

How it Works
Motorists will access the PAUC in one of two ways:
 
1) traffic traveling westbound on Pier T Avenue will take the SR-47/SR-103 connector road; or
 
2) traffic headed westbound on Ocean Boulevard will take the northbound SR-47/SR-103 off-ramp.

In both cases, traffic will shift to the far left two lanes just prior to the signal at SR-47 and Ocean, and make a smooth unsignalized turn through the PAUC prior to heading east. 

Return To Index