Valley Blvd. and Soto St. Grade Separation – Los Angeles CA

Description

“FOUR grade separation projects recently completely in Los Angeles are at Mission Road, Soto Street and Valley Boulevard, Soto St between Pico Street and Washington Boulevard, and at Firestone Boulevard. These projects have been financed from funds set aside by the Federal Government to be used on grade separation projects. On these projects the State acted as an agent for the Federal Government, contracting and supervising the construction. 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.

Another grade separation is at Soto Street and Valley Boulevard where the through traffic along Soto Street is carried over both the main line track of the Southern Pacific Railroad and Valley Boulevard. This overhead structure eliminated a sag in grade as well as the hazards inherent in a blind street intersection combined with a grade crossing of a main line track.

This project is 2200 feet long, and has gentle approaches. To prevent the flow of traffic from Valley Boulevard over the Southern Pacific tracks, Soto Street was deadended at this point. However, provision has been made for the flow of traffic north from Valley Boulevard to Soto Street.

TRAFFIC ISLAND CONSTRUCTED
To minimize traffic friction on this approach, a well lighted traffic island has been placed at the junction of this approach with Soto Street. This Feeder Road project was completed October 31, 1936, at a total cost of $235,000.”