LA Metro; Rosecrans Avenue Bridge Now Open

Courtesy of Metro

LOS ANGELES – The LA Metro has announced the Rosecrans Avenue Bridge, as part of the Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation project, has opened.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) announced in a press release the new Rosecrans Avenue Bridge is now open in Santa Fe Springs. According to the report, the new bridge was part of the Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation project. The entire project is slated to be completed in 2025 with the addition of future bike lanes in each direction, new sidewalks, and pavement to Anson Avenue, Frontage Road, and Marquardt Avenue. In addition, crews will install utility lines, landscaping, signage, striping, and make improvements to the parking lot.

The bridge spans 581 feet and measures 104 feet wide. It has “two vehicle lanes in each direction, a raised central median and sidewalks on both sides.” It also fixes an at-grade area that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) deemed “dangerous.” From 2013 to 2019, the CPUC recorded 31 incidents between trains and cars that resulted in six fatalities. The new crossing also eliminates train-to-vehicle traffic and pedestrian collisions by moving vehicle traffic over the BNSF railway. According to the report, this will increase “rail efficiency by enhancing passenger and freight rail services and accommodate potential future California High-Speed Rail trains.”

Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Karen Bass stated: “This new bridge will provide the much-needed safety and traffic relief that residents and businesses in the area require. . . As major rail projects like High-Speed Rail make their way to Los Angeles, we must be sure that our county is ready for a transportation future that is safer, faster, and more reliable.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro First Vice Chair Janice Hahn stated: “This project is long overdue for our Southeast L.A. communities and will once and for all solve a major safety concern that we’ve had in our backyards for years. . . This project will save lives, making our local streets safer while also improving one of our most critical goods movement corridors.”

“Through strategic investments and forward-thinking planning, we are enhancing our current transit options and paving the way for a more accessible, interconnected and sustainable future for Los Angeles County. . . Safety is Metro’s top priority, and this project is the latest example of our efforts to enhance public safety within busy rail corridors,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins.