Fourth
Street Bridge
Built in 1931, this
reinforced concrete arched bridge exhibits character-defining
features of Gothic Revival monumental bridge design. Located on
Fourth Street as it crosses the Los Angeles River between Boyle
Heights and Downtown Los Angeles, the bridge rests on several
vertical piers with closed spandrel barrel arch spans and two
larger vertical piers at its center where it crosses the Los
Angeles River. The central open spandrel arched span uses a fixed
hinge design. On the western section of the subject structure, the
deck slits into two roadways. Two pairs of massive piers on the
central portion of the deck have lancet arch openings and
Gothic-style decorative elements. The deck of the bridge exhibits a
sculpted concrete railing with incised trefoil patterns on
triangular forms. Low-height pylons support fluted electroliers
with paired Gothic-style light fixtures. Several piers feature
built-in seating for pedestrians.
The Fourth Street Bridge was one of only
two bridges on the Los Angeles River to depart from the Beaux-Arts
and Classical aesthetic and use a Period Revival design. The
subject structure introduced a new type of experimentation in
bridge design by the early 1930s. Although its use of the Gothic
style produced a highly original and distinctive bridge, the bridge
in its materials, form, and layout is still tied securely to the
monumental bridge aesthetic of other Los Angeles River
Bridges.
The total length is 1837.0 feet, with the
largest span at 278.9 feet.
Please visit the other caches in the
Los Angeles River Bridge series:
Main Street Bridge 1910
First Street Bridge 1929
Fourth Street Bridge 1930
Washington Blvd Bridge
1931
According to the guidelines, I
needed to move the caches off the bridges. Check back for the
other bridge cache once I get them moved.
