Shakespeare Bridge

Shakespeare Bridge
Shakespeare Bridge in 1956
Coordinates34°06′20″N 118°16′46″W / 34.105451°N 118.279546°W / 34.105451; -118.279546
CarriesFranklin Avenue
CrossesRavine
LocaleFranklin Hills section of Los Angeles, California
Characteristics
DesignOpen-spandrel reinforced concrete deck arch bridge
Total length260 feet (79 m)
Width30 feet (9.1 m)
History
Opened1926 – rebuilt 1998
Location
Map
Franklin Avenue Bridge
(Shakespeare Bridge)
Shakespeare Bridge in 2007
DesignatedApril 17, 1974[1]
Reference no.126

The Shakespeare Bridge in the Franklin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, was built in 1926. It is made of concrete and decorated in a Gothic style. It was named after William Shakespeare and later designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #126 in 1974.

The bridge was rebuilt in 1998 after the Northridge earthquake due to concerns that the structure would not be stable in the event of an earthquake in the Franklin Hills area. As part of the seismic retrofit, the deck, sidewalks and railings were removed and reconstructed using reinforced concrete. The expansion joints were also removed, so the bridge deck is now a one-piece structural diaphragm built to transfer all seismic forces into the abutment walls at either end of the bridge. All of the rebuilding was done in order to preserve the historic appearance of the bridge.

  1. ^ Los Angeles Department of City Planning (September 7, 2007). "Historic-Cultural Monuments (HCM) Listing: City Declared Monuments" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Retrieved 2008-05-29. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)