The recently completed Gold Line Bridge over the 210 Freeway. Photo: Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority
In this third installment of our Foothill Gold Line photo tour series, we explore the Gold Line Foothill Extension's iconic bridge over the 210 Freeway, as well as a closer look at the line's other bridges.
For those just joining us, the Gold Line is a 19.7 mile light rail line running from East Los Angeles to Pasadena via Union Station in Downtown L.A. The line currently serves 21 stations, and is operated by Metro. The Gold Line Foothill Extension will extend from its current Sierra Madre Villa terminus east into the city of Azusa. The new 11.3-mile extension includes 6 new stations, serving five cities directly. It is proposed to transform the San Gabriel Valley entirely. Once bounded by distress of being caught in freeway gridlock, San Gabriel Valley residents will now have the freedom to commute by rail into Downtown L.A., and endless locations from there, by using the new Gold Line extension.
The bridge spans 584-linear-feet diagonally across the Eastbound 210 Freeway. Notice the bumper-to-bumper traffic heading westbound on the freeway. I predict that one of the most effective marketing tools for increasing Gold Line ridership will be the simple frustration drivers feel when they are stuck on the freeway while watching the sleek new trains travelling at 55 mph towards Downtown LA. All photos, except where noted: Aviv Kleinman/Streetsblog L.A.
The Gold Line bridge, completed in 2012, was built to replace the previous flyover bridge used by the Santa Fe railroad to cross over the eastbound lanes of the 210 freeway. The Gold Line tracks run 4.1 miles along the median of the 210 before crossing the bridge into the city of Arcadia, heading southeast towards the downtown Arcadia station.
According to the Construction authority, the bridge was completed "on-time and on-budget" in December of 2012. The total cost was $18.6 million.
The bridge utilizes a ballastless track configuration, with the rails fastened directly to molded concrete slabs. This system is used because it lowers weight stresses on the bridge and it incurs lower maintenance costs. It also prevents vehicles from driving across the bridge. Pictured here, the tracks switch from a conventional concrete rail-tie configuration in the foreground, to the ballastless system as they enter the bridge.
A photo taken at track level, highlighting the balllastless track system. The tracks are elevated about 1.5 feet above the bridge surface. When the trains start running, hopefully nobody will be seeing the tracks from this perspective.
The bridge was designed by the artist Andrew Leicester. Leicester envisioned the bridge as "a memorable expression of the community, past and present." The bridge's design includes homages to the local culture, native wildlife, and, most notably, the Native American roots in the area. The two 25-foot tall, 17-foot diameter sculptural woven baskets flank the bridge and support it structurally as well as artistically. According to the Construction Authority, the bridge was "built for the same cost as was originally estimated for a typical structure of its make-up." The bridge won five construction industry awards and is billed as "the largest single public art/transportation infrastructure piece in California."
Flanking the span are two concrete forms representing woven baskets, intended to reference the region's Native American cultural history. The bridge serves as a gateway to drivers entering the Eastern San Gabriel Valley. Photo: Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority
The Construction Authority is finishing the eastbound tracks first, following with the westbound tracks afterwards. Meanwhile, the unfinished side serves as a corridor to transport construction equipment back and forth between the freeway median and the track and staging areas south of the freeway. The Authority reopened the previously closed freeway lanes that served as an construction entrance into the median; this leaves the bridge as the only way of entering the construction zone in the median. After the track is laid on both sides of the bridge, only hi-rail equipment (and trains) will be able to access the median.
Approaching the bridge from the west.
The bridge was constructed by Skanska USA, but was handed over to Kiewit-Parsons after completion. It will eventually be handed over to Metro when it is ready for service.
Hey look! A QR code! Let's take a closer look.
Bonus points to whoever comments first with the contents enclosed in the QR code.
Below, we take a closer look at the other relatively-utilitarian bridges on the Gold Line Foothill Extension.
The Gold Line bridge over Palm Drive in the city of Azusa. Rowland informed us that it was most economically feasible to lift the existing freight-rail steel bridge (pictured furthest) and to relocate it a few feet south, as opposed to constructing a brand new bridge in its place. The concrete light rail bridges (the closest two) were constructed from scratch.
The city of Arcadia opted to design this bridge over Santa Anita Avenue with an art deco style. It was originally planned to be an at-grade crossing, but changed to a grade separation to facilitate smooth car travel on the major thoroughfare below.
Because of space constraints of the original rail right-of-way, a new bridge had to be constructed for this shared freight-rail and light-rail crossing over Foothill Blvd. in Azusa. The city wanted to maintain the raw character of the original steel freight rail bridge, as opposed to a new concrete bridge.
A look at the underside of the three spans of the new mixed-use freight and light-rail bridge over Foothill Blvd. in Azusa.
