Mission Road Grade Separation – Los Angeles CA

City:
Los Angeles, CA

Site Type:
Infrastructure and Utilities, Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels

New Deal Agencies:
Public Works Funding, Bureau of Public Roads (BPR)

Completed:
1937

Description

DON WARREN, Senior Bridge Engineer February 1937 issue of California Highway and Public Works magazine:

“… The projects were intended to relieve labor and carried the condition that as far as practical, labor was to come from the relief rolls and that labor be confined to one hundred thirty hours per month. It also stipulated that railroad work could be
done by the railroad forces.

CARRIES FOUR R. R. TRACKS
The largest of these projects is the Mission Road Grade Separation, which carries four lanes of Pacific Electric tracks over the junction of Mission Road with Huntington Drive North. Huntington Drive South and Soto Street. This project was built
at a cost of $434,000. At this point the traffic count of 1932 showed 43,000 vehicles, and the railroad record of 1935 gives 560 Pacific Electric trains daily.

This structure is built on the location of the old trail which was followed by the padres from the Mission San Gabriel to the settlement of Los Angeles. The evolution in vehicular traffic from the ox-cart days was evidenced by the old bridge structures
and culverts uncovered during the construction of the foundations.

The project is 2600 feet long, which includes the railroad approach fills. The main structure, which is 490 feet long, contains 5800 cubic yards of concrete and 875,000 pounds of structural steel. The approach fills provide for a maximum of 1.70 per cent railroad grade.

TRAFFIC WAS CONTINUOUS
The project was planned so that stage construction provided for continuous flow of railroad traffic. The first construction was the placing of retaining walls to confine the railroad north of the crossing and also south of it along Soto Street. Then while cast-in-place piles were being driven for the east side of the structure
through soft fill material, the railroad forces deposited and compacted the east half of the railroad approach fill.

At the completion of these approaches the supporting members of
the main structure were in place and the railroad cranes, moving over the newly constructed approach fill, placed the structural steel girders and beams which span the highway.

EAST HALF BUILT FIRST
During this stage of construction the Pacific Electric trains were confined to the two westerly tracks. On completion of the easterly half of the structure the trains were routed over the structure, the westerly tracks removed, and the westerly half of the project constructed in a manner similar to that of the easterly one.”

Source notes

By DON WARREN, Senior Bridge Engineer February 1937 issue of California Highway and Public Works magazine

Site originally submitted by Andrew Laverdiere on December 19, 2014.

Location Info


Los Angeles, CA 90032
Los Angeles County

Coordinates: 34.078004, -118.193576

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