A trio of cameras perched in and around Downtown Los Angeles showcase live progress on the $449 million replacement of the iconic Sixth Street Viaduct.
The approximately 3,500-foot long bridge, built in 1932, suffers from an alkali-silica reaction which compromises the structural integrity of its concrete base. Past studies have estimated that the viaduct has a 70% chance of collapse due to a major seismic event within 50 years.
Its replacement, designed by a team consisting of Michael Maltzan Architects and HNTB, will echo its predecessor through a series of ten concrete arches which rise and fall through the span of the bridge.
But unlike its predecessor, the new Sixth Street Viaduct is envisioned as more than a passageway for vehicular traffic over the Los Angeles River. The project takes a multimodal approach to transportation, with accommodations for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. Plans also call for new recreational green spaces on former industrial sites in Boyle Heights and the Arts District, the two communities which the bridge will link.
Demolition commenced on the eastern span of the existing viaduct earlier this year. Completion of the project is anticipated to occur in 2019.
- 6th Street Viaduct Replacement Project (Emerge Video Services)
- Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project (Official Website)
- Sixth Street Viaduct (Michael Maltzen Architecture)