Walkway Over Tracks Nearly Done
A much-anticipated South-Central Los Angeles pedestrian bridge spanning four sets of tracks on Long Beach Avenue is near completion. City officials hope the new project leads to a reduction in train-related accidents.
Construction on the East 53rd Street walkway began in February. Pedestrians will start using it to cross the MTA Blue Line and Union Pacific railroad tracks by September, officials said.
The MTA and Caltrans funded the $1.6-million bridge.
The Blue Line was deemed the deadliest rail transit system in the state, according to a 1999 report by the state Public Utilities Commission.
The report, the most recent data on statewide rail safety, tallied 10 deaths and 40 injuries along the 22-mile line connecting Long Beach with downtown Los Angeles.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Rita Waters began pushing for the MTA to fund a pedestrian bridge in 1992, said Antonio Watson, a member of Waters’ public works and transportation staff.
Safety concerns over the busy railway that runs through the Pueblo Del Rio housing project were heightened in 1999 when 13-year-old Gilberto Reynaga was hit and killed in an attempt to dash across the tracks.
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