Soto Bridge Removal Project Breaks Ground $14 milion project will replace aging, dangerous bridge with two new fully-signalized intersections & green space On August 6, we broke ground on the $14 million Soto Bridge Removal project, which will replace the aging, dangerous bridge with two new fully-signalized intersections and much-needed green space. Originally built in 1936 to carry Pacific Electric Railway’s Short Line to Pasadena, the bridge provided grade separation between vehicular traffic and the trains. The city removed the rails in 1960 to allow for the increasing demands of vehicle traffic. But as time has gone by, cars have only gotten faster and our population has only gotten bigger. These two things do not mix well with sharp curves and poor visibility for a bridge that wasnt designed for cars. Along with the poor maze of entrance/exit points under the bridge, it has been the site of accidents and many near miss accidents through the years. The Council office heard from the community often about the dangers of this bridge. Along with Councilmember Huizar’s work on bringing the $54 million Valley Blvd. Bridge to the community, which eliminated long automobile waits along the rail line and all that comes with it - pollution, fire/police safety issues – Councilmember Huizar is working with BOE on improving another major entry point into El Sereno and the surrounding communities, including Rose Hills, Hillside Village and University Hills. This major upgrade on Soto will also include much-needed green space. Northeast Trees will work with our office, the community and the Bureau of Engineering to develop the landscape and public art component that reflects the desires and values of the community. We already had one workshop where community folks voiced their opinions about potential walking paths, plant materials, and ways to pay tribute to the historic character of the neighborhood, including honoring the sites history as a former rail line. Over the next few months, we’ll be having more community meetings where we’ll work together to develop a final plan. us5.campaign-archive2/?u=c41221add47503b494784d27a&id=8d670e665b#mctoc3
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 05:02:22 +0000
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