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Drivers beware: Famous LA bridge has begun coming down

The Sixth Street Bridge that spans the Los Angeles River is seen in Los Angeles on Wednesday before being closed for demolition. The landmark bridge, dating to the 1930s, is being replaced due to deterioration caused by a chemical reaction in the concrete. The $449 million project to build a replacement bridge, designed by architect Michael Maltzan, is expected to be completed by 2019 at the earliest. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
Justin Pritchard Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – The end has begun for a downtown bridge that played a supporting role in many Hollywood chase scenes down the concrete-lined Los Angeles River.

Giant jackhammers reduced 220 feet of the Sixth Street Bridge roadway to rubble by Saturday morning and were working on bringing down three massive support columns, said Mary Nemick of the city Public Works Department.

“We had taken down the entire top of the bridge. That’s completely gone as of 8 this morning,” Nemick said.

Crews worked through the night under floodlights to dismantle the deck, which spans the U.S. 101 Freeway and the concrete-lined Los Angeles River.

The bridge’s concrete bottom and sides are a Hollywood favorite; the bridge has been in numerous films. Think rival gang members Danny and Leo racing in “Grease” or big chases in “Terminator 2” and “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

Considered state-of-the-art when it was built in 1932, the bridge has been suffering from a chemical reaction that for decades has weakened its concrete.

Eventually, the entire 3,500-foot bridge will be replaced by a new roadway that has the potential to become another Hollywood backdrop.

A 2019 opening has been set after $449 million in work.