The city is packed with iconic landmarks, from the Hollywood sign to the Griffith Observatory, but few are as instantly recognizable and crucial to the city’s infrastructure as the Sixth Street Viaduct. This historic bridge has long connected neighborhoods, carried generations of Angelenos across the Los Angeles River, and starred in countless films and TV shows.
Now, the city’s Bureau of Engineering has chosen the global engineering firm Tetra Tech to restore and relight the Sixth Street Viaduct after repeated copper wire thefts left sections of the bridge dark. The project will rewire lights along the roadway, ramps, stairways, arches, and barriers, while also reinforcing equipment and installing security cameras to prevent future thefts, with work expected to be completed right on time for the 2028 Olympics.
Sixth Street PARC and bridge upgrades
The work on the Sixth Street Viaduct goes far beyond just relighting the bridge. The project also includes the nearby Sixth Street PARC, a nearly finished 12-acre green space featuring sports fields, fitness areas, event spaces, and a performance stage. The total contract with Tetra Tech for their entire revamping efforts is roughly $5.3 million, as reported by Patch.
The Sixth Street Viaduct, a historic L.A. landmark
Since its first incarnation opened in 1932, the original structure included three distinct sections, reinforced concrete spans on the east and west, and a central steel arch over the river, and was once considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Its demolition in 2016 was prompted by severe structural issues, including cracks caused by a high-alkali concrete reaction, and fears of seismic instability, leading to a full replacement that opened in 2022.
Measuring approximately 3,500 feet in length, it’s the city’s longest bridge, and it was featured in countless TV series, music videos, commercials, and hundreds of films, including blockbusters such as Grease and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Transformers, S.W.A.T. and The Mask. According to the National Trust of Historic Preservation, on average, the bridge is the backdrop of 80 different media each year.