Fast and Furious: Iconic bridge in Los Angeles re-opens and quickly closes from street racing

Authorities have closed the iconic Los Angeles 6th street bridge four times in five days due to various kinds of illegal activity weeks after it re-opened, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. 

The 6th Street Viaduct bridge was built in 1932 but was closed in 2016 to upgrade its infrastructure. Costing about $588 million, the project was deemed the largest in the history of the city. 

The 3,500 feet bridge reopened on July 10. Mayor Eric Garcetti called the bridge "a new landmark that represents the tenacity, beauty, and promise that defines Los Angeles."

However, since the bridge reopened it has had to be constantly closed down due to illegal activity, including street racing and street takeovers, LAPD said. 

On July 22, the LAPD closed the bridge due to public safety hazards. The following day, it was closed again after “approximately 15 moped/street bike racers were conducting wheelies on the bridge, as an exhibition of speed,” reported the police. The same evening, police closed the bridge “due to unruly crowds and vehicle takeovers,” LAPD said. 

On July 24, a large group of trucks showed up at the bridge, blocked traffic, and “appeared to be setting up for a street takeover.”

A few days later, a cyclist shines a laser pointer into a police officer’s eye, while other cyclists were blocking traffic and performing stunts. The officer had to be medically tweeted. 

On Wednesday, the bridge closed once again “due to illegal activity and public safety concerns,” LAPD tweeted. 

While the LAPD is working to curb the illegal activity on the bridge, the iconic landmark has become a backdrop for many who perform stunts to go viral or for exhibitions. In one stunt, for example, a barber was giving haircuts to people between traffic lanes. Other videos show people climbing up the structure. 

Officials plan to install speed bumps, safety fences, and cameras on the newly reopened bridge, hoping to curtail the unruly behavior it attracts. 

“We ask for everyone to take a pause and recognize that this is a figure or a location in Los Angeles that we all want to be proud of,” Police Chief Michel Moore said on Tuesday. “We want to show the world that we are a world-class city, that we can have these types of features and we can take care of them, respect them.”