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L.A. Council OKs demolition of 6th Street Bridge By John Hoeffel, Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2011
A modern cable-supported bridge will replace the stately
concrete piers and graceful steel arches of the 6th Street
Bridge over the Los Angeles River, the City Council decided
Friday, when it voted to demolish the beloved, but fatally
decaying 79-year-old span.
The chance to build a new monument that reflects contemporary design won out
over an appeal from preservationists to replicate at least the signature double
arches. The bridge is one of a dozen historic river bridges built in grand style
by an ascendant city in the early part of the last century.
"We're going to have a bridge that links to the city's past while looking to the
future," Councilman Jose Huizar said as he lamented the loss of the majestic
bridge that links downtown and Boyle Heights.
Photos: Bridges over the L.A. River
Tom LaBonge was the only council member to vote against the modern design. "This
drastically changes what is a tremendous view of this bridge," he said. "It
hurts me to see that we would let this bridge go."
The Cultural Heritage Commission and the Los Angeles Conservancy pressed the
council to adopt a conceptual approach that would have replicated the arches for
an extra $20 million, saying the 6th Street Viaduct was designed to complement
the unique ensemble of Los Angeles River bridges.
But Gary Lee Moore, the city engineer, urged the council to go with the most
up-to-date technology and style, saying that was the consensus that emerged in
public meetings after people learned that a carbon-copy reproduction was not
feasible. "We've had a tremendous amount of community outreach," he said, "The
community said we wanted something new and different."
Council members worried about whether the federal government, which will pay for
most of the $401-million project, will come through and passed a resolution
calling on the city to advocate for a transportation bill that includes the
money to complete the bridge replacement.
Construction could begin in about three years and take four years, during which
time the bridge would be closed. The route will be shifted to the north, which
will could affect up to 33 businesses and cause about 200 employees to lose
their jobs at least temporarily. Huizar and city officials said they were still
working to minimize the potential effects. The demolition of the longest
city-owned bridge and construction of the new one will also cause traffic delays
and air pollution.
The council's decision allows the city to move forward with the design. The
process will include extensive public outreach, including an aesthetic advisory
committee that will weigh in on such features as colors, accent lighting,
railings and monumental gateways at the entrances.
Richard Barron, an architect and president of the Cultural Heritage Commission,
said the commissioners will turn to influencing the design. He said the
commission would try to ensure that the new bridge incorporates references to
the old bridge's admired Art Deco and Streamline Moderne features in an
appropriate manner. "I think what we want to avoid is a Christmas decoration
approach," he said.
Alex Ward, an architect who is chairman of Friends of the Los Angeles River,
advocated the contemporary design, saying it was "the best springboard to a
world-class new bridge." He said the proposed partial reproduction was "an
unsatisfactory attempt at reproduction of the existing bridge, which is neither
accurate nor has the grace and poetry of the original."
The new bridge will have wider sidewalks and room for bicycles. It will have no
piers on the embankment, which could eventually allow for a path along the river
where railroad tracks now run.
The city also agreed to take steps to try to memorialize the condemned bridge,
promising to make a broadcast-quality documentary and publish a booklet with
black and white photos on the Los Angeles River bridges, and erect informational
plaques about the old bridge at either end of the new structure.
The 6th Street Bridge has an unusual and unstoppable condition called alkali
silica reaction, which produces a gel that expands and cracks the concrete. City
engineers concluded that the bridge had to come down and preservationists
reluctantly agreed. It has a 70% chance of failing in a 7.0 magnitude
earthquake, a finding that troubled Councilman Paul Koretz. "How dangerous is
it? Is this a big mistake for us to keep it open? Should we be shutting it down
next week?" he asked.
Moore promised to provide the council with more detailed information on the
bridge's safety and said he would ask Caltrans to examine the bridge more
frequently than every other year. Caltrans inspected the bridge about 13 months
ago. The 11-page report documents extensive cracking and notes that the bridge's
signature arches are rusted and the paint is faded, peeling and dirty. "There
are some problems," said Maria Raptis, a spokeswoman, "but it is safe."
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