An aerial view of the Sixth Street Viaduct in Los Angeles Thursday, April 14, 2022. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The original Sixth Street Viaduct is known by many for its appearance in multiple iconic films. The viaduct is now getting a renovation after six years of construction that began in 2016.
The $588 million revamp project is the largest bridge project in the history of LA, and will connect commuters from Boyle Heights to downtown LA's Arts District.
Here's what the new 6th Street Viaduct will look like and feature.
The construction process
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The new viaduct was designed to meet earthquake standards and will be able to withstand strong earthquakes.
The bridge will have a special design known as "The Ribbon of Light" and will include 10 pairs of arches with 9-degree artistic outward cant.
Each arch took over 65 truck loads of concrete to make.
The arches also have LED lights to light up the bridge.
Why is the old bridge being replaced?
The original Sixth Street Viaduct was constructed in 1932 and was an important engineering landmark for LA.
Because of its large size it was constructed using an onsite concrete mixing plant. Unfortunately the concrete had a chemical reaction known as Alkali Silica Reaction which caused the it to begin to deteriorate.
Over the years there were multiple efforts to try and preserve the it and make it last. After some tests and research it was decided that the viaduct had a high vulnerability of failure and could become dangerous.
Those results are what led to a reconstruction and total makeover.
Features of the new bridge
The new bridge will feature new and safe paths for both pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
The idea is that everyone will be able to benefit from the new project in safe ways.
Another project that will be unveiled with the new bridge is the Sixth Street Park, Arts, and River Connectivity Improvements Project which will be directly under the viaduct.
It will be a 12-acre recreational space with access to the LA River, public art, dog park areas, and concession stands.
