We all know that the sixth street bridge is undergoing a major renovation and we know that there’s a first street bridge, but did you know that there’s two first street bridges…No? Well, that other first street bridge that crosses over a tangle of streets at the southern edge of Echo Park is going to get a makeover.
According to LAist, the city’s Bureau of Engineering is preparing two key changes to The First Street Bridge that swoops past the Bob Baker Marionette Theater over Glendale Boulevard. Those changes include an earthquake retrofit and widening the structure by 2.5 feet on each side. The project will cost an estimated $10 million.
Built in 1942, the First Street Bridge serves as a southern gateway to Echo Park for those headed out of Downtown and up Glendale Boulevard. The bridge is by far Echo Park’s largest: measuring 54-feet wide and 974-feet long, including approaches, according to the Bureau of Engineering. The middle span alone is about 200-feet long.
The final designs are still in the works, and construction is not scheduled to begin until next year. There’s no telling how the project will impact traffic, but a city spokeswoman said the bridge will remain open as much as possible to keep disruptions to a minimum.
The sixth street bridge closure isn’t as bad as everyone thought it would be, so hopefully the first street bridge doesn’t create too much chaos for residents in Echo Park. What do you think of all these bridge renovations?
