Gage Ave. over the Los Angeles River

Photos 

North Side of Gage Ave.

Photo taken by David Kimbrough

Map 

Street View 

Opening of Gage Ave. Bridge Recalls Days of Great Lugo Rancho April 14, 1940 

A street dance, parade, and community picnic on the banks of the Los Angeles River today marked the opening of the Gage Avenue Bridge, with more than 15,000 residents of Bell and surrounding communities joining the celebration.

Started in July, 1939, the new $247,000 steel and concrete structure was completed early this week and opened to traffic at 8 p.m. today.

Demolished in the flood of March, 1938, the bridge stood in ruins for more than a year before construction was begun. County and State officials could find no funds for the work during 1938 and bitter protests were made by merchants and residents of the community.

After repeated appeals to the Board of Supervisors the money was obtained by Supervisor William A. Smith, who officiated at dedication ceremonies.

A feature of the celebration was a free picnic dinner served by Bell merchants and Spanish singing and dancing resented by the famed Lugo Family of Dell, descendants of Don Antonio Maria Lugo, who owned the great Lugo Rancho which included the cities of Bell, Maywood, Huntington Park and a portion of Los Angeles.

Following a brief address this evening by Supervisor Smith and other county officials, residents of the community held a gala street dance on the boulevard west of the new bridge.

Facts 

Overview

Concrete tee beam bridge over Los Angeles River on Gage Avenue

Location

Bell, Los Angeles County, California

Status

Open to traffic

History

Re-Built 1940, Washed-Out 1938, Washed-Out 1927

Design

Concrete tee beam

Dimensions

Length of largest span: 100.1 ft.
Total length: 476.1 ft.
Deck width: 43.6 ft.

Also called

Baker Street over the Los Angeles River

Approximate latitude, longitude

+33.97667, -118.16833   (decimal degrees)
33°58'36" N, 118°10'06" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

11/392074/3760183 (zone/easting/northing)

USGS topographic map

South Gate

Inventory numbers

CA 53C-159 (California bridge number)
BH 51584 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Inspection (as of 12/2011)

Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Appraisal: Functionally obsolete
Sufficiency rating: 49.1 (out of 100)

Average daily traffic (as of 2002)

25,900

Categories 

Update Log 

• March 11, 2012: Updated by David Kimbrough: Upload photos, washout dates
• March 3, 2012: Added by David Kimbrough

Sources 

• David Kimbrough - kimbrough-photo [at] charter [dot] net

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