Sixth Street Viaduct

This article is about the viaduct in Los Angeles. For viaduct in Kansas City Kansas and Missouri that carried 6th Street until 1963, see Lewis and Clark Viaduct.
6th Street Viaduct
The second incarnation of the Sixth Street Viaduct, 2023
Coordinates34°2′17″N 118°13′37″W / 34.03806°N 118.22694°W / 34.03806; -118.22694 (Sixth Street Viaduct)
Carries6th Street/Whittier Boulevard
CrossesMetrolink tracks, Los Angeles River, Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Santa Ana Freeway, Golden State Freeway, several local streets
LocaleDowntown and Boyle Heights areas of Los Angeles, California
Official nameSixth Street Bridge from the LA River
Other name(s)6th Street Viaduct
Maintained byCity of Los Angeles and California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
ID number53C-1880 (City of Los Angeles), 53-0595 (Caltrans)
Characteristics
DesignViaduct
MaterialReinforced concrete and steel
Total length3,500 feet (1,100 m)
Width46 feet (14 m)
History
OpenedNovember 9, 1932; 92 years ago (1932-11-09)[1] (Original viaduct)
July 9, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-07-09) (Replacement viaduct)
ClosedJanuary 27, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-01-27) (Original viaduct)
Location
Map

The Sixth Street Viaduct, also known as the Sixth Street Bridge, is a viaduct bridge that connects the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles with the Boyle Heights neighborhood.

The Sixth Street Viaduct spans the Los Angeles River, the Santa Ana Freeway (US 101), and the Golden State Freeway (I-5), as well as Metrolink (Orange County and 91/Perris Valley lines), Amtrak (Pacific Surfliner and Southwest Chief), and Union Pacific (along with Metrolink's Riverside Line) railroad tracks and several local streets. The first incarnation, which opened in 1932 and demolished in 2016, was replaced with the second incarnation in 2022.

The predecessor was composed of three independent structures: the reinforced concrete west segment, the central steel arch segment over the river, and the reinforced concrete east segment. In 1986, the Caltrans bridge survey found the Sixth Street Viaduct eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

The demolition of the predecessor bridge was due to serious structural issues, including several large cracks, resulting from the high alkaline content of the concrete composition, due to architectural unsophistication. As a result, concerns over the structure's seismic instability outweighed its historical status, leading to its closure for demolition and replacement in January 2016. The new replacement bridge was completed six years later and opened on July 9, 2022.

  1. ^ Bernal, Victoria (July 7, 2022). "23 Eye-Opening Photos of the Original Sixth Street Viaduct in Construction". PBS SoCal. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  2. ^ "History of the Sixth Street Viaduct". Retrieved 24 October 2015.