Colorado Street Bridge (Pasadena, California)

Last updated

Colorado Street Bridge
Pasadena Colorado Street Bridge 2005.jpg
Colorado Street Bridge seen from the Arroyo Seco below
Coordinates 34°08′42″N118°09′50″W / 34.145°N 118.164°W / 34.145; -118.164
Carries Colorado Boulevard
Crosses Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)
Locale Pasadena, CA
Named for State of Colorado
OwnerCity of Pasadena
Characteristics
Design Arch
Material Reinforced concrete
Total length1,467.5 feet (447.3 m)
Width38 feet (11.6 m)
Height148.5 feet (45.3 m)
Longest span233 feet (71 m)
No. of lanes 2
History
Designer Waddell & Harrington
Constructed by J. D. Mercerau
Construction startJuly 1912
Construction cost$240,000 (1913)
OpenedDecember 12, 1913
Colorado Street Bridge
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
NRHP reference No. 81000156 [1]
CRHR No.N941
Significant dates
Added to NRHPFebruary 12, 1981
Designated CRHRFebruary 12, 1981
Location
Colorado Street Bridge (Pasadena, California)
Roadway and suicide barriers Cmglee Pasadena Colorado Street Bridge roadway facing west.jpg
Roadway and suicide barriers

The Colorado Street Bridge is a historic concrete arch bridge spanning the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, California.

Contents

History

The Colorado Street Bridge was designed and built in 1912 at a total cost of $191,000 (equivalent to $5,809,953in 2023). [2] The bridge was designed by the firm of Waddell & Harrington, based in Kansas City, Missouri. The structure carries Colorado Boulevard (then called "Colorado Street"), the major east–west thoroughfare connecting Pasadena with Eagle Rock and Glendale to the west, and with Monrovia to the east. The Colorado Street Bridge replaced the small Scoville Bridge located near the bottom of the Arroyo Seco. It opened on December 13, 1913. [3]

For a few years, from around 1936 to 1940, the bridge was a part of U.S. Route 66. [4]

Following the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, the bridge was closed as a precautionary measure but was reopened in 1993 after its renovation. [5]

The bridge follows a curved path so that the footings would sit on more solid ground than a straight bridge would have provided. [6] [7] The bridge spans 1,468 feet (447 m) at a maximum height of 150 feet (50 m) and is notable for its distinctive Beaux Arts arches, light standards, and railings. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a California Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. [8]

Plaque dedicating the bridge as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, near the span's east end on the south side. Colorado Street Bridge Historic Landmark Dedication.jpg
Plaque dedicating the bridge as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, near the span's east end on the south side.

"Suicide Bridge"

A 1913 view of the Scoville Bridge next to the partially completed Colorado Street Bridge. ScovilleBridgepartiallyColoradoStreetBridge.jpg
A 1913 view of the Scoville Bridge next to the partially completed Colorado Street Bridge.

During the early part of the 20th century, the Colorado Street Bridge became known locally as "Suicide Bridge" after dozens of people leaped to their deaths. [9] The bridge had a bad reputation before it was even built, as a construction worker fell to his death and landed in the wet cement under the bridge.[ citation needed ]

The number of deaths spiked during the Great Depression, but did not stop there. According to one of the most popular stories, a mother threw her baby first and then jumped. The child survived, as it landed in a tree unharmed, but the mother died.[ citation needed ]

The balustrade was replaced by an 8-foot-high (2.4 m) barrier in an effort to deter suicides. Still, on October 27, 2015, British-American model and reality television star Sam Sarpong leapt to his death. [10]

In 2016 a 10-foot-high (3.0 m) chain link fence was installed on the sidewalk inside the balustrade, blocking the seating alcoves which were believed to be the primary route taken by jumpers. In 2017, there were nine deaths. In 2018, there were four by September. After police spent 13 hours successfully negotiating with a would-be jumper, these temporary barrier fences were extended to cover the entire bridge span. The city plans to replace the temporary fencing with permanent barriers, at least 7.5 feet (2.3 m) in height. [11] [12]

In culture

One of the earliest films in which the bridge appears is in Charlie Chaplin's The Kid (filmed 1919–1920), when a mother is shown at the east end of the bridge pining for her son at about the 12-minute mark. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta earthquake in Northern California, the bridge was declared a seismic hazard and closed to traffic. It was reopened in 1993 after a substantial retrofit. The bridge is closed each summer for a festival, A Celebration on the Colorado Street Bridge, hosted by historic preservation group Pasadena Heritage. [13]

The 1984 album Songs from Suicide Bridge by Eric Caboor and David Kauffman is named after this bridge. The album's black-and-white cover art features the duo standing on the bridge holding their instruments. [14]

An episode from the eighth season of the series Full House , "Leap of Faith", featured the bridge in a bungee jumping scene. The bridge was depicted as being in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The bridge was featured in an episode from the fourth season of the series ER, "Fathers and Sons". The bridge was depicted as being in San Diego.

The bridge is featured in an episode of Fear Factor . The stunt, named "Bridge Hang", required contestants to hang from a trapeze bar hoisted over the edge of the bridge for as long as they could to avoid being eliminated. [15] Host Joe Rogan does not refer to the bridge by name; rather, he says “This bridge used to be known as Suicide Bridge. Don’t worry, we’re not gonna ask you to jump off of it. Instead, we’re gonna ask you to hang on for dear life.”

The 2012 Lana Del Rey song "Summertime Sadness" for the album Born To Die filmed parts of its music video on the bridge. Actress Jaime King is seen climbing over a section of the bridge and then jumping off later in the video.

The bridge was the site of the beginning of The Amazing Race season 21. The contestants had to rappel down the side of the bridge to their waiting cars to start the race. [16]

In the 2016 romantic musical film La La Land , the protagonists took an evening stroll across the bridge. [17]

In the 2008 film Yes Man , the bridge was featured in a scene where actor Jim Carrey attempts a bungee jump. [18]

The bridge is featured in an episode of Emergency!, "To Buy or Not To Buy", as they rescue a kid who climbed on the bridge.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arroyo Seco Parkway</span> Highway in California

The Arroyo Seco Parkway, also known as the Pasadena Freeway, is one of the oldest freeways in the United States. It connects Los Angeles with Pasadena alongside the Arroyo Seco seasonal river. Mostly opened in 1940, it represents the transitional phase between early parkways and later freeways. It conformed to modern standards when it was built, but is now regarded as a narrow, outdated roadway. A 1953 extension brought the south end to the Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles and a connection with the rest of the freeway system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 110 and State Route 110 (California)</span> Interstate and state highway in California

Route 110, consisting of State Route 110 (SR 110) and Interstate 110 (I-110), is a state and auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of the US state of California. The entire route connects San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles with Downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. The southern segment from San Pedro to I-10 in downtown Los Angeles is signed as I-110, while the northern segment to Pasadena is signed as SR 110. The entire length of I-110, as well as SR 110 south of the Four Level Interchange with US Route 101 (US 101), is the Harbor Freeway, and SR 110 north from US 101 to Pasadena is the historic Arroyo Seco Parkway, the first freeway in the western United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Boulevard</span> Major east–west street in Los Angeles County, Southern California

Colorado Boulevard is a major east–west street in Southern California. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east through Glendale, the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Arcadia, ending in Monrovia. The full route was once various state highways but is now locally maintained in favor of the parallel Ventura Freeway and Foothill Freeway (I-210).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 118</span> Highway in California

State Route 118 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that runs west to east through Ventura and Los Angeles counties. It travels from State Route 126 at the eastern edge of Ventura immediately northwest of Saticoy, then through Saticoy, in Ventura County east to Interstate 210 near Lake View Terrace in Los Angeles. SR 118 crosses the Santa Susana Pass and the northern rim of the San Fernando Valley along its route.

Samuel Osei Sarpong Jr. was a British actor, supermodel, and musician. He performed in over sixty feature films and fifty-five television shows, including such films as Carmen The Hip Hopera, Love Don't Cost a Thing, Keeping Up with the Steins, Anchor Baby and No Weapons, for which he won best lead actor at the San Diego Black Film Festival. He was also the host on MTV's Yo Momma for three seasons. He was one of the first black male models for designer Tommy Hilfiger and was the face of the brand for over six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arroyo Seco (Los Angeles County)</span> Seasonal watercourse and human settlement in US

The Arroyo Seco, meaning "dry stream" in Spanish, is a 24.9-mile-long (40.1 km) seasonal river, canyon, watershed, and cultural area in Los Angeles County, California. The area was explored by Gaspar de Portolà who named the stream Arroyo Seco as this canyon had the least water of any he had seen. During this exploration he met the Chief Hahamog-na (Hahamonga) of the Tongva Indians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Figueroa Street Tunnels</span> Series of freeway tunnels in Los Angeles, California

The Figueroa Street Tunnels are a set of four four-lane tunnels that carry northbound traffic on State Route 110 through Elysian Park in Los Angeles, California, United States. From south to north, the four tunnels measure 755, 461, 130, and 405 feet in length, 46.5 feet in width, and 28.3 ft in height.

Arroyo Seco Bridge may refer to the following bridges over the Arroyo Seco in California, USA:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arroyo Seco bicycle path</span> Cycling route in California, USA

The Arroyo Seco Bicycle Path is an approximately 2-mile (3.2 km) long Class I bicycle path along the Arroyo Seco river channel and canyon in the Northeast Los Angeles region of Los Angeles County, California. It parallels the Arroyo Seco Parkway, which is also a part of the canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in California</span>

Buildings, sites, districts, and objects in California listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 66 in California</span> Highway in California

U.S. Route 66 is a part of a former United States Numbered Highway in the state of California that ran from the west in Santa Monica on the Pacific Ocean through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to Needles at the Arizona state line. It was truncated during the 1964 renumbering and its signage removed in 1974. The highway is now mostly replaced with several streets in Los Angeles, State Route 2 (SR 2), SR 110, SR 66, San Bernardino County Route 66 (CR 66), Interstate 15 (I-15), and I-40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garvanza, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

Garvanza is a neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles. Fourteen Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are located in the neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 6 in California</span> U.S. highway in California

U.S. Route 6 (US 6) is a transcontinental United States Numbered Highway, stretching from Bishop, California, in the west to Provincetown, Massachusetts, in the east. The California portion of US 6 lies in the eastern portion of the state, running between Bishop in the Owens Valley to the Nevada state line in Mineral County. Prior to the 1964 state highway renumbering, US 6 extended to the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach, California, as part of the historic auto trail named the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.

Lower Arroyo is a neighborhood in Pasadena, California, centered on the Arroyo Seco south of Brookside Park. It is bordered by Holly Street to the north, Columbia Street to the south, San Rafael Avenue to the west, and Orange Grove Boulevard to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Pasadena, California</span>

This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in the city of Pasadena, California, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge</span> Historic bridge in Los Angeles, USA

The Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge in Highland Park, Los Angeles, is more than 710 feet (220 m) long and crosses the Arroyo Seco Parkway at an elevation of over 56 feet (17 m). It is the tallest and longest railroad span in the city of Los Angeles, and most likely the oldest such structure still in use. The bridge crosses the lower part of the Arroyo Seco, a watershed canyon from the San Gabriel Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Loma Bridge</span> Bridge in Pasadena, California, US

The La Loma Bridge is a bridge that carries La Loma Road across the Arroyo Seco, located in Pasadena, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington Drive</span> United States street in Los Angeles

Huntington Drive is a major thoroughfare that begins in the Rose Hills community in Los Angeles, California and heads east/northeast to Irwindale, California. The street was named after railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington. It also served as one of the only thoroughfares between Los Angeles and Pasadena in the early 1900s. Portions of Huntington Drive were part of U.S. Route 66. The road has a wide median that was originally one of the lines of the Pacific Electric Railway, the Monrovia–Glendora Line.

Directly north of the Colorado Street Bridge, Holly Street Bridge is the northernmost of the bridges that cross the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, CA. The concrete arch bridge was designed by W.C. Earle, city engineer, and replaced the 1909 Linda Vista Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Newell Bikeway</span> Cycling route in Pasadena, California, USA

The Kenneth Newell Bikeway in Pasadena is one of the first bike paths established in Los Angeles County. This “popular, well-marked bikeway” has been called “one of the premier inland trips.” The path travels through the canyon of the Arroyo Seco river, a tributary of the Los Angeles River.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge Celebrates 100th Anniversary, June 17, 2013, retrieved August 4, 2014
  3. "Archives - Los Angeles Times".
  4. Duncan, Glen (2005). "Arroyo Seco Communities". Route 66 in California. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 80. ISBN   9780738530376. This graceful bridge, completed in 1913, became part of Route 66 from about 1936 to 1940, the only time in which the route did not go through South Pasadena.
  5. "Colorado Street Bridge--Route 66: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". www.nps.gov. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  6. Segal, Matthew (June 18, 2018). "The Complicated Case of the Colorado Street Bridge". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  7. "Colorado Street Bridge—Route 66: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  8. Gold, Lauren (November 28, 2013). "Pasadena Museum of History Celebrates Colorado Street Bridge Centennial". Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  9. "Colorado Street Bridge--Route 66: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary". www.nps.gov. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  10. "Police Spent 7 Hours Talking to Sam Sarpong Before His Apparent Suicide". October 29, 2015.
  11. Latest suicide attempt prompts city manager to expand fencing on Colorado Street Bridge, September 6, 2018, retrieved December 19, 2018
  12. Pasadena is extending temporary fencing on Colorado Street Bridge to deter suicide attempts, September 4, 2018, retrieved December 19, 2018
  13. Pasadena Heritage Presents a Celebration on the Colorado Street Bridge Archived 2008-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
  14. White, Caitlin (May 5, 2015). "David Kauffman And Eric Caboor – 'Life Without Love'". Stereogum. Raptive. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024.
  15. "Fear Factor Moments | Bridge Hang". YouTube. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020.
  16. Nordyke, Kimberlya (October 1, 2012). "'Amazing Race': First Eliminated Team Reacts to 'Devastating' Finish". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  17. Jordan Rane, Did you love 'La La Land'? This L.A. trip is for you, CNN Travel
  18. "Jim Carrey bungee jumps off the West Colorado Blvd bridge for his new film Yes Man, in Pasadena, Ca". alamy. January 28, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  19. Pasadena Pioneers Bridge
  20. Pasadena: Public Memorials and Monuments Archived 2016-06-08 at the Wayback Machine