Built in 1913, the Colorado Street Bridge is an outstanding example of the early use of reinforced concrete for a major structure. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

This 1, 468-foot, 11-span arch bridge with a main span 150 feet high and 230 feet long crossing the Arroyo Seco channel was the first street level bridge providing a through route to Los Angeles. This project is the first seismic retrofit of an historic arch bridge in California and has served as a model for other similar projects in Southern California.

The complete project provided a rehabilitated bridge meeting code requirements for seismic safety and increased roadway width, reestablished a vital transportation link, and preserved a valuable cultural and historic landmark. During the rehabilitation design process, public meetings were held to reach a consensus on design treatments. This project is a model for the engineering profession of cooperation among community and preservation groups, technical specialists and federal, state and local government officials.

CREDITS...

• City of Pasadena, Public Works and Transportation Department
• De Leuw, Cather & Company

JURY COMMENTS...

Bridge restoration, renovation and seismic upgrading are in the forefront of national needs and bridge engineers' responsibility during this decade. This project required complex engineering analysis and ingenuity to raise the seismic safety and make the restoration true to the original John Alexander Low Waddell Beaux Arts design.