The design of the Sixth Street Viaduct is unlike anything seen before in Los Angeles and includes many engineering firsts.

For example, the 10 pairs of LED-lit arches use a concrete network tied design that will be built monolithically with Y-Bents. This is the first time in the world this has been done in a high seismic area.

We will be using sliding seismic isolation bearings mid-height in columns, which is also new in the U.S. The columns and abutments will use triple friction pendulum bearings for seismic base isolation, which will allow movement of 30” in any lateral direction.

The 9-degree cant of the concrete arches is also an industry first. 

The Bureau of Engineering is also using the Envision^TM sustainable infrastructure rating system, another first for bridges in California. Envision encourages sustainability and resource efficiency and our goal is to achieve a Platinum rating, the highest awarded.

With all these groundbreaking features, the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project is breaking ground in many ways here in Los Angeles. 

Demolition

• More than 110,000 tons of rubble was removed during demolition
• More than 6,000 truck loads were needed to remove rubble during demolition

Seismic

• The columns and abutments will use triple friction pendulum bearings for seismic base isolation, which will allow movement of 30” in any lateral direction

Arches

Arches will have a 9 degree cant and support the bridge deck with a cable network

The arches will be 10’ wide, with a typical arch span of 300’

There will be 3 different arch heights on new viaduct:

The Viaduct

• The length of the viaduct from Mateo Street  to just east of the 101 Freeway is approximately 3,500 feet
• The viaduct will span 18 railroad tracks operated by 5 different railroad agencies
• The width of the deck of the viaduct will be 100’, an increase of 40 feet
• The new viaduct  will have 23 columns and 2 abutments
• The piles will extend an average of 150’  underground, which is the equivalent to a 15-story building
• Cables will have a diameter of 2 ¾ inches
• 110,000 tons of concrete and 8,250 tons of steel will be needed to build the new viaduct 

Community

The Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project is a new, 3,500-foot long viaduct connecting Boyle Heights and the Arts District across the Los Angeles River. The original viaduct was built in 1932, but had significantly deteriorated due to "concrete cancer"; it was demolished in 2016. The new viaduct will have ten pairs of lit arches, bike lanes and wider sidewalks, along with stairway access and bike ramps connecting to 12 acres of recreational and open space under the bridge. The $482 million dollar project is the largest bridge project in the history of the city. The bridge is funded primarily through the Federal Highway Administration, with additional City support. The viaduct is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

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