A short route with a lot going on
State Route 47 is only about three and a half miles of state-maintained road, but it is the connective tissue of the port. It begins at I-110 in San Pedro, with a single interchange at Harbor Boulevard before climbing the Vincent Thomas Bridge — a 1963 suspension bridge — and dropping onto Terminal Island.
From there the maintenance gets complicated, which matters more than it sounds. SR-47 becomes locally maintained Seaside Avenue at the Ferry Street interchange, runs east to Navy Way, then continues on Long Beach–maintained Ocean Boulevard, rebuilt as a freeway in 2007. SR-47 then exits onto frontage roads, crosses Henry Ford Avenue, and turns north onto the Terminal Island Freeway. State maintenance picks back up there, and the route crosses the Cerritos Channel on the Schuyler Heim Bridge, a lift bridge that opened in 1948.
Just past the Heim, SR-47 leaves the freeway. The freeway itself continues northeast as SR-103. What is signed as SR-47 from there runs along Henry Ford Avenue and Alameda Street all the way to SR-91 in Compton, and that whole northern leg is locally maintained — it is a surface truck route, not a freeway. We cover that on the Alameda Street page.
Why this route is different
Most freeway breakdown advice starts with "get to the shoulder." On SR-47 that advice largely does not apply:
- The Vincent Thomas Bridge has no usable shoulder. A stopped truck on the span is a genuine emergency, not an inconvenience. Call 911 first.
- The Schuyler Heim Bridge is a lift bridge. Its approaches carry heavy, merging traffic with limited room.
- Seaside Avenue moves fast with a very high truck percentage and limited places to pull clear.
- Ocean Boulevard is freeway-standard but hemmed in by terminal property on both sides.
- Navy Way and the Pier 400 causeway are long, exposed, and a long way from anywhere.
- There is no truck stop on the entire route. None. No fuel, no parking, no shop.
So the working goal on an SR-47 call is usually different from a freeway call: get the truck well enough to reach San Pedro, Wilmington, or Long Beach, then finish the repair somewhere safe.
Terminals along the route
Berth numbers are the most reliable way to tell dispatch where you are, because operators change and gate names do not always match the sign:
| Berths | Terminal | Access from |
|---|---|---|
| 100–126 | WBCT | Harbor Boulevard / Front Street, San Pedro |
| 136–147 | TraPac | Harry Bridges Boulevard, Wilmington |
| 206–209 | Pasha Stevedoring & Terminals | Wilmington |
| 212–225 | Yusen Terminals | Terminal Island |
| 226–236 | Everport Terminal Services | Terminal Island |
| 302–305 | Fenix Marine Services | Terminal Island |
| 401–406 | APM Terminals — Pier 400 | Navy Way causeway, Terminal Island |
| Pier T | TTI (Port of Long Beach) | Ocean Boulevard, east Terminal Island |
Whether we can bring a service truck inside any of these is the terminal operator’s decision, not ours. Tell dispatch exactly where you are and we will tell you straight what is possible.
Breaking down on the bridges
In order:
- Keep moving if the truck will move at all. Coasting off a bridge span at ten miles an hour is safer than stopping on it.
- If it stops, call 911 before anything else. A stopped truck on the Vincent Thomas is a traffic emergency and needs traffic control, not just a mechanic.
- Hazards on immediately. Triangles only if you can place them without standing in a live lane — on these spans, often you cannot.
- Stay behind a barrier if one exists. If the safest place is the cab, stay in the cab with your belt on.
- Then call us with the bridge, the direction, and whether traffic control is already on scene.
Derates and the island problem
The most common way drivers end up stuck on this route is a derate that hits at exactly the wrong moment. A truck that soot-loaded its DPF sitting in a gate queue often throws its fault a few minutes after it starts moving again — which puts it on Seaside Avenue or the bridge approach with reduced power and nowhere to go.
If you get a derate warning before the power actually drops, use the time. Get off the island, or at minimum get to a spot where a service truck can safely park beside you. Our DPF regen guide covers what can and cannot be done on the roadside.
Services most often needed on SR-47 & the Bridges
- Emergency Roadside Assistance
- DPF, DEF & Regen Service
- Mobile Tire Service
- Air Brake Service
- Jump Start & Fuel Delivery
- Diesel Engine Diagnostics
- Cooling System & Radiator Repair
- Trailer Repair
Areas along this route
SR-47 & the Bridges roadside repair FAQ
What do I do if my truck dies on the Vincent Thomas Bridge?
Keep moving if it will move at all — there is no usable shoulder on the span. If it stops, hazards on and call 911 first, because a stopped truck there is a traffic emergency. Then call us with the direction of travel.
Is there anywhere to stop on SR-47?
Very little, and no truck stop at all on the whole route. Seaside Avenue, Ocean Boulevard, and Navy Way all have limited pull-off room. That is why most SR-47 calls focus on getting the truck to San Pedro, Wilmington, or Long Beach first.
Where does SR-47 become SR-103?
Just past the Schuyler Heim Bridge. SR-47 leaves the freeway there and the freeway continues northeast as SR-103, the Terminal Island Freeway. What is signed SR-47 north of that point is the Alameda Street surface truck route.
Is the Schuyler Heim Bridge still a lift bridge?
The original 1948 crossing of the Cerritos Channel is a lift bridge. Call out which bridge you are on or near when you phone — Vincent Thomas and Heim are very different scenes for a mechanic to work.
Can you reach me inside a Terminal Island marine terminal?
That is up to the terminal operator and their credentialing rules, which differ terminal to terminal and are not ours to override. Tell dispatch the berth and we will tell you honestly whether we can come inside, meet you at the gate, or whether it is a tow.