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The Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge: Celebrating a groundbreaking, years in the making

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Jackie Wei Green Jackie Wei Green Americas Head of Communications,Los Angeles
10 June 2019

On June 10, the Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge over the Los Angeles River, a project that has been in the City of Los Angeles’s books since 1992, commenced construction with a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony attended by Mayor Garcetti. Working with the City and Studio Pali Fekete: architects (SPF:a) since 2013, Arup is leading the bridge engineering for the project. 

Stops and starts 

After more than 22 years, the project is finally becoming a reality — connecting the existing Elysian Valley neighbourhood to the newly redeveloped Cypress Park. Cypress Park, located north of the proposed bridge, was once an industrial area but has since been redeveloped into an active, green residential community. We worked closely with the City and SPF:a on early community outreach efforts. The proposed design addresses the community’s needs, the City’s goals, and the architectural vision. 

“

We’re excited to celebrate this project’s progress with the City and the community. We have been engaged in the design of the Taylor Yard Bridge since 2013, working closely with the City and rest of the design team. We’re proud to see another unique design coming to life. The Taylor Yard Bridge not only connects communities but does so in a sustainable way that aligns with the future goals of the City. The project is targeting Envision Platinum Certification. ”

Surur Sheikh Surur Sheikh Arup senior engineer and the project’s lead bridge designer and project manager
Rendering of the Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge
Rendering of the Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge
Rendering of the Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge over the LA River
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The Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge over the Los Angeles River, a project that has been in the City of Los Angeles’s books since 1992, has commenced construction. All renderings credit SPF:a.

Design and assembly

The City of Los Angeles wanted a bridge that has a distinctive profile, requires minimal supports in the river, offers little to no disruption to the river flow and environmental habitat, and can be constructed within the existing site and time constraints.

Our experts, backed by our experience designing notable bridges globally and locally, including the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement and the Rainbow Bridge both in Long Beach, California, and the Wilmington Waterfront Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge in Wilmington, California, demonstrated the proposed two span steel box truss bridge structure meets the City’s requirements and vision. At 400ft long and 18ft wide, the Taylor Yard Bike Path and Pedestrian Bridge embraces the Los Angeles River Revitalization Masterplan with paths for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as lookout platforms at the bridge’s centre for views up and down the river. 

Per the Army Corps of Engineers, construction can only be carried out during California’s dry period, from April to October. To facilitate this truncated construction schedule, we proposed a construction sequence in which the steel box truss bridge is preassembled in segments at the adjacent fabrication yard then driven down to the river and spliced. This allows the bridge superstructure to be constructed within one dry season and offers minimal disruption to the river ecosystem that the City of Los Angeles and Army Corps of Engineers are trying to protect and grow.  

With this project underway, the City is one step closer to its goal of redeveloping the Los Angeles River into a community connector that not only offers greenspace and stormwater management but also serves as a source of pride. 

Rendering of the Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge
Rendering of the Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge
Rendering of the Taylor Yard Pedestrian Bridge over the LA River
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The City of Los Angeles wanted a bridge that has a distinctive profile, requires minimal supports in the river, and offers little to no disruption to the river flow and environmental habitat.