North Atwater Bridge
Award
Bridge Project
Description
The North Atwater Bridge is used for non-motorized travel for equestrians, pedestrians, and bicyclists to make year-round crossings over the Los Angeles River between the communities of Atwater Village and Griffith Park. This bridge is part of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Plan which connects the Atwater Village on the east bank to the Los Angeles River Bike Path on the west bank with access to Griffith Park. The bridge is supported by two reinforced concrete abutments at both ends of the bridge and an elliptical center pier, with the cables supporting the bridge deck.
The steel bridge is 325 feet long that crosses over the LA River with a 125-foot-high structural steel mast and steel suspension cables. The bridge deck is divided into two separate 12-foot-wide pathways. The pedestrian/bicycle path uses a wooden deck and stainless-steel mesh railings. The equestrian side deck is composed of rubberized pavers with a wood picket railing system. The bridge includes three tuned mass dampers and four shock transmission units at the abutments to transmit short-term impact forces from seismic forces between connecting structures while permitting long-term movements between the bridge deck and the abutments. The tuned mass dampers are seismic dampers that are mounted to the steel bridge deck beams to reduce bridge vibrations.
This bridge is considered the first steel cable stay bridge in the City of Los Angeles with a unique design that features a 125 foot high mast which supports the entire bridge structure. The bridge includes three tuned mass dampers and four shock transmission units at the abutments to transmit short-term impact forces from seismic forces between connecting structures while permitting long-term movements between the bridge deck and the abutments. The tuned mass dampers are seismic dampers that are mounted to the steel bridge deck beams to reduce bridge vibrations.
Branch
