Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge, Vertical-lift bridge in the Port of Los Angeles, United States

The Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Bridge was a vertical-lift bridge over the Cerritos Channel in the Port of Los Angeles. Its two steel towers, about 60 m tall, carried a lift span 82 m long and weighing 800 t, raised by 56 cables over four electric sheaves. Each tower held a 400 t counterweight. The bridge was decommissioned in 2015 and dismantled in 2019.

Construction began in 1946 and the bridge opened in 1948 to serve as a critical transportation link for the expanding port. It was built to support the growing maritime commerce that developed after World War II.

The bridge carries the name of Commodore Schuyler F. Heim, a military leader connected to the port's wartime operations. The name reflects the deep ties between the harbor's development and regional naval history.

The 1948 lift bridge was decommissioned on October 12, 2015, and its lift span was removed; the replacement six-lane fixed-span bridge opened in September 2020. Visitors today cross the new bridge on State Route 47, which links the mainland to Terminal Island. The surviving 1948 towers and machinery can be viewed from the waterfront near the Cerritos Channel.

The deck uses an open grid design that reduces weight, allowing the lift mechanism to raise the structure many times each day without excessive strain. This clever engineering choice was key to making the frequent vessel passages practical and reliable.