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A boisterous final farewell to 6th Street Bridge before demolition begins

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The 6th Street Bridge east of downtown Los Angeles is getting more than its share of goodbyes.

On Tuesday night, scores came out to bid farewell to the crumbling span as it's scheduled to close Wednesday for demolition. A "final walk" is being scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday.

But the crowd grew rowdy shortly after 8 p.m., when more than 100 people had gathered on the iconic span. At least 20 Los Angeles police officers responded to oust the crowd from the bridge, LAPD Officer Mike Lopez said. One person, an unidentified woman, was arrested on suspicion of resisting a police officer, Lopez said.

The new 6th Street Bridge, a $449-million project expected to open in 2019, will echo the design of the old one: a four-lane road framed by curved arches of varying heights following the approximate path of a stone skipped across a pond. Planners imagine the bridge as one that dedicates equal space to pedestrians, bicyclists and cars and integrates the two very different communities it connects. The demolition is expected to take time, and it's unclear when exactly it will begin.

The designer of the new viaduct, Michael Maltzan, and city leaders are scheduled to participate in Wednesday morning's final walk.

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Here are some images from tonight's events:






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