New Design Presented as 6th Street Discussion Moves Forward
Ed Fuentes
[Flickr]
A nighttime rendering of the "3-Dual Tower Cable Supported Viaduct" design presented last night as a possible replacement for the 6th Street Bridge.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Project staff presented a new design for the 6th street bridge to community members last night, part of a meeting that seemed to signal a shift toward discussion of the structure's future rather than a fight over its fate.
The new design, described as a "3-Dual Tower Cable Supported Viaduct," offered more details that paid homage to the historic spans across the Los Angeles River.
The team took the audience through an abbreviated design process, illustrating the architectural features of the 1931 structure and discussing how the historic details influenced the proposed bridge.
The Community Advisory Committee meeting was the first since a contentious February gathering where community members accused the project team of ignoring their input and pushing ahead their own agenda.
In response, the project team has added back more proposed bridge types to the upcoming Draft Environmental Impact Report, which no longer contains one recommended option.
This time, more discussion focused on how the bridge might support non-auto uses, like bicycles and pedestrians. The proposed designs would widen the span to 94 feet, allowing shoulders and wide sidewalks.
The replacement project is made necessary because of a condition of the bridge known as Alkali Silica Reaction, or ASR, often described as "cancer." The structure is the only one of the Los Angeles River bridges to suffer from the condition.
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David on April 09, 2009, at 01:45PM – #1
I like it. Seems to fit in well.
The Dude on April 09, 2009, at 02:14PM – #2
This is a step in the right direction!
Interurbans on April 10, 2009, at 08:22AM – #3
This project is a boondoggle. There are many ways of strengthening older poorly mixed concrete. In our times of limited resources it is even more outrageous that for personal profit this project is even being considered. To destroy our current beautiful 6th the bridge for someone’s profit is on the edge of criminal.
Lets find some good people to evaluate what is required to make the bridge safe, not destroy it.
Mabo on April 10, 2009, at 08:56AM – #4
So if it looks the same, what's the big improvement? There is no room for nostalgia in a modernization project. To spend so much money on a project where its urban fabric is stained with factories and industrialized run down elements, calls for the aesthetic need of creating an urban anchor that serves as the icon between the east side of the city and the downtown community. Historic preservation casts a shadow on everything; even those things that need to go or be updated.
Carrie on April 10, 2009, at 10:19AM – #5
It is important to remember that the "character" and design of our bridge (as it currently stands) has lent itself well to many commercials, TV shows and movies for that reason alone. Added to that, the current design is a nice compliment to the nearby 7th street bridge and the two are tied by their unique design. A drastic modernization of the 6th St. bridge will alienate the character and design that has made this bridge so unique and make the 7th St. bridge look out of place.
I do, however, like the newest design which seems to be a compromise of the old and the new. A safe walking area along side the bridge would be nice as well and/or bike lane.
Oscar on April 10, 2009, at 01:16PM – #6
They're not going to make it wider? Then what's the point.
I'm all for waiting until the crisis pass. Spend the money on a park... oh and yes I do more often than not realize the stupidity in my comments...
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on April 10, 2009, at 01:54PM – #7
Oscar: If I recall correctly, 94 feet is 20+ feet wider than the current bridge. The current bridge has no shoulder and tiny sidewalks, and this one will at least fix both of those issues.
ubrayj02 on April 11, 2009, at 01:30AM – #8
Are the engineers talking about what they expect the projected average daily trips across the bridge to increase to?
The last I read, they were trying to design a 4,000 car increase across the bridge (from 6,000 to 10,000) as well as speed up that volume of cars as well. To me, that sounds like a pretty miserable situation for East L.A. - which already suffers from a lot of pedestrian fatalities and injuries due to being hit by cars as well as some of the worst air quality problems in the L.A. area.
Oscar on April 12, 2009, at 12:28PM – #9
Ha ha... OK smartypants, let me be a little more specific since it's NOT AT ALL obvious what I mean...
What is the point of building a new bridge if they are not going to add at least 2 MORE LANES on each side? and NO shoulder lane does not count as lane!
The problem with developers and planners is that they ONLY see today and NEVER tomorrow. When are they going to learn from the mistakes of the past?
Or maybe they do, but who cares as long as a small group of people benefit from an unnecesary, half a" planned project?
And about the sidewalks on the 6th. st. bridge; in the 7 years I've been living here have only seen ONCE a group of 4 people walking on it, 3 models and a photographer.
I am sure the wide sidewalks will be very beneficial to the hundreds of people walking over the bridge everyday (specially the one in 6th.)
It is time we all realize that this is a car city and the only way to alleviate the traffic it's to make more streets one way and help the traffic be more fluid in commercial streets.
And by the way I am NOT against pedestrian friendly areas I just find it amazingly stupid when people propose to slow down the traffic to help people walk, most of the pedestrian fatalities occurr because some idiot decided to cross the street where it wasn't supposed to.
I am also surprised that with all the technology and all the traffic "geniuses" nobody has come up with the idea of tubular barriers to protect the sidewalks, seems quite obvious to me.
So there a whole bunch of points for debate, who wants to go first?
Robert Banuelos on April 12, 2009, at 04:44PM – #10
only a group of4 people walking?
I go over that bridge on daily basis, either biking or driving. That bridge doesnt do an immense amount of foot traffic, but it does get a fair share of foot traffic. The fact that it doesn't have herds of people walking cross is probably cause one its a pretty long bridge with a long slope. And one side is industrial, not exactly a tourist attraction, so people dont take liesurely strolls along it. Most people cross that bridge either as exercise or to get to work.
Expanding the bridge to add more car lanes is unnecessary, its capacity to carry cars is more than sufficient, its a street bridge not a freeway. Part of the appeal of living in Boyle Heights is that you can easily take public transportation to downtown and back. And i think the gold line which is set to open soon, will also provide a huge source of mobility to the community. So not sure why you would add more lanes or even one way lanes.
The only modifications that are necessary are the ones for pedestrians, widening the sidewalks and adding bike lanes.