Taylor Yard Bridge Gets Its First Coat of Paint, Approaches Finish Line

We are pleased to shares a new image of the nearly completed Taylor Yard Bridge over the Los Angeles River (a.k.a. Rumblefish). The 400-foot span this week reached a significant milestone: it received its first coat of paint, a signature blazing orange that will be the hallmark of a long-awaited connection joining Elysian Valley and Cypress Park.

"I can't wait to see people using this big orange thing in the middle of the city,” says Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, SPF:a’s founder and design principal. “Bridges are special; they are so utilitarian by purpose but offer so much magic to the imagination. They are impossible to resist. I hope that this gem of a project will realize my goal of evoking the community spirit of togetherness."

The architecture of the bridge takes inspiration from the area’s industrial past, a modern interpretation of the railroad bridges that once crossed the water. The path connecting both sides of the river is designed to “float” within a level box truss structure and slopes to meet the different elevations of the banks.

In construction, the bridge employs the lightest structural elements possible: tube steel, wide flange steel, and steel rods. HSS steel members form rectangular openings, and the bracing of the frame is achieved by the provision of cables spanning diagonally in vertical planes. The use of this hybrid form allows the vertical planes in the bridge to remain almost unobstructed and allows for open viewing of the river along the promenade.

Construction on the bridge is expected to wrap in June 2021; as it stands, the link is 75 percent complete.