A crash occurred on the Sixth Street Bridge during a street takeover that promoted closures. Video aired during Today in LA on Tuesday, July 19, 2022.
Following the opening of the new 6th Street Viaduct bridge after more than six years of construction, and some drivers getting rowdy, police have announced the arrest of a hit-and-run driver who lost control while doing burnouts.
The driver of the 2016 White Dodge Challenger, who the Los Angeles Police Department says was caught on camera performing burnouts on the new bridge, was not identified.
Police said he went into Central Station and identified himself as the registered owner and driver.
On July 18 at 10:20 p.m., the driver was performing burnouts when he lost control and hit two cars, a 2021 Nissan Sentra and a 2022 Honda Civic.
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He took off and left the Challenger behind, police said.
He was arrested on suspicion of Exhibition of Speed, Hit and Run Misdemeanor, Reckless Driving, and Lying to Police Officers.
The original viaduct was first built in 1932 and was featured in several iconic films such as "Grease," "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and "Drive."
The $588 million revamp project is the largest bridge project in the history of Los Angeles, and will connect commuters from Boyle Heights to downtown LA's Arts District.
The original Sixth Street Viaduct was a Los Angeles landmark seen in films and television shows, but fell victim to deterioration blamed on an alkali-silica chemical reaction that caused an expansion and cracking of the concrete over time. Seismically speaking, it wasn't up to the task anymore.
Demolition work on the original structure began in 2016. The original end-date was projected to be 2019, but that was soon pushed back to late 2020. Additional construction delays ensued during the pandemic.
The city's Bureau of Engineering plans to create a 12-acre park under the bridge to provide access to the LA River, public art, recreational programming and more.
The downtown side of the park will include a rain garden, planted seating area, a play and performance lawn, a sculpture garden, a meadow, a dog play area, an adult fitness section, cafe and restrooms, a sloped river gateway, an urban forest and terraces.
The Boyle Heights side will feature a skateboard area; a meadow; a picnic area; a synthetic turf soccer field; flexible courts sized for basketball, futsal and volleyball; a play and performance lawn; a children's play area; a promenade; a landscaped seating area; an adult fitness area; a rain garden; a dog play area and grilling spaces.
