New bridge over LA River opens today with protected bike lane

A new bridge connecting Cypress Park to Elysian Valley over the Los Angeles River opens today with a protected lane for pedestrians and cyclists.

Called the Riverside Drive Bridge, it stretches for 1,200 feet, from Riverside Drive to Figueroa. On the Cypress Park side, the new bridge spills into a new, multi-lane roundabout at the intersection of Figueroa and San Fernando Road—“the first modern multi-lane roundabout” in the city, according to Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo. In the center of the roundabout are giant, egg-shaped sculptures and landscaping designed to help capture water runoff.

The $60-million bridge replaces an older bridge that dated back to 1928. Efforts to save the bridge by converting to a High Line-style park were unsuccessful, and it was demolished in 2014. The old bridge didn’t have any lanes for bikes and could be nerve-wracking to traverse by bike, especially at night.

Courtesy of Greenmeme.

• Saying Goodbye to the Riverside-Figueroa Bridge and Dreams of a High-Line-Style Park [Curbed LA]
• Get a Bird's Eye View of the Riverside-Fig Bridge Demo [Curbed LA]
• Big egg sculptures installed in Cypress Park’s new roundabout [Curbed LA]