Last weekend, in order to proceed with construction of the Sixth Street Viaduct, the city of Los Angeles had planned a 55-hour closure of the 101 Freeway through Boyle Heights and downtown Los Angeles. Specifically, the city was pouring concrete for two 40-foot high arches that tower above the freeway. By Sunday morning, the city Bureau of Engineering announced that pouring the new arches had gone so smoothly that the freeway was reopened 20 hours early.
In the video below, City Engineer Gary Lee Moore expresses his enthusiasm for the $588 million nearly mile-long viaduct, now expected to open in Summer of 2022.
BOE photo of Sixth Street Viaduct concrete pour last weekendBOE photo of Sixth Street Viaduct concrete pour
Department of Public Works spokesperson Mary Nemick reports that the city has now completed six of the 20 monumental arches on the Sixth Street Viaduct. Of those 20, two pair are 60-feet tall, one pair (over the 101 Freeway) are 40-feet tall, and seven pair are 30-feet tall.
Nemick notes that:
The Sixth Street Viaduct includes ten sets of LED-lit, color-changeable arches that will make up “The Ribbon of Light” design of the bridge. The arches are 10 feet wide, with a typical arch span of 300 feet. Each arch takes 260 cubic yards of concrete to construct or about 65 trucks of concrete. In order to keep the concrete cool enough, it is delivered to the site, then injected with liquid nitrogen to keep it close to ambient temperature. This reduces the potential for concrete cracking.
We will continue to pour arches in the coming months and also begin to remove the scaffolding/falsework below the bridge, though I don't have a timeframe on that.
Streetsblog visited the site Sunday afternoon, hoping to catch the tail end of the weekend work, only to find work had already been completed. Below are photos of the under-construction bridge.
Panorama photo of 6th Street Viaduct Construction, looking from Boyle Heights toward downtown L.A.Panorama photo of 6th Street Viaduct Construction, looking from Boyle Heights toward downtown L.A.
Last weekend's newly-poured arches over the 101 have been wrapped in black plastic materialNewly poured arches over the 101 have been wrapped
View of Sixth Street Viaduct progress from Clarence StreetView of Sixth Street Viaduct progress from Clarence Street
Multiple Sixth Street Viaduct arches visible from Mission Road. Note that the three farthest-away arches to the right (the east) have been poured, while nearby ones are still being prepared for the concrete pour. This vacant area, plus the space under the bridge will become a new park after bridge construction is completed.Multiple arches visible from Mission Road
Sixth Street Viaduct progress over the L.A. River. The western (downtown) portion of the bridge is proceeding, but not quite as far along as the eastern portionSixth Street Viaduct progress over the L.A. River. The western downtown portion of the bridge is not as far along as the eastern portion
New concepts for rapid bus service across the 626 have ironed out the questions of where an East-West route would run and where demonstrations could begin.
Metro and Caltrans eastbound 91 Freeway widening is especially alarming as it will increase tailpipe pollution in an already diesel-pollution-burdened community that is 69 percent Latino, and 28 percent Black