The Sixth Street Viaduct scheduled demolition has been postponed. The famous bridge will stay for months before the structure will be taken down to pieces.
According to LA Curbed, the Sixth Street Bridge which connects Arts District and Boyle Heights is already scheduled for a replacement. However, the said demolition is being held back to a later time.
Report says that the Sixth Street Bridge will be replaced for its slick and swoopy new version. The said demolition is supposedly plan this month. But since the schedule is being pushed back, people in the community will still have more time to enjoy the historic bridge.
LAist says that the decision to postpone the demolition of Sixth Street Bridge has been decided by the Department of Public Works. "According to Tonya E. Durrell, department spokeswoman, The Bureau of Engineering "is finalizing demolition plans and expects demolition to start in the next couple months." In the meantime, the bridge-officially known as the Sixth Street Viaduct-will remain open."
As noted, the Sixth Street Bridge was built in 1932. It is a "3,500-foot-long concrete and steel structure," which is now in its deteriorated condition. Report says that the bridge has been dramatically dilapidated, "mostly due to a rare chemical reaction in the cement supports that make it particularly vulnerable to earthquakes."
The new version of the Sixth Street Viaduct will feature "swooping arches, pedestrian and bike pathways, as well as surrounding parks, public art and other community features." Based on report, the project will cost $420 million.
Detours and other traffic improvements have already been prepared to allow commuters to get across Arts District to Boyle Heights, and vice versa. It is also reported that "instead of a big, Vegas-style explosion, the bridge will instead be slowly dismantled."
The Eastsider LA reports that when the announcement of demolition became official, the community had a grand farewell festival. The "bridge was jammed with large crowds."
The new Sixth Street Bridge is expected to finish in 2019.
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