With 10 pairs of striking—and non-uniform—concrete arches, third-generation triple-pendulum bearings, 27 million lb of falsework and a constrained urban site near a river and 18 railroad tracks, how difficult was it to build the $588-million, 3,060-ft-concrete tied arch Sixth Street Viaduct in Los Angeles?
“On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 15,” says Michael Aparicio, senior vice president of operations with Skanska Civil USA’s West Coast team. Skanska with Stacy and Witbeck led the construction manager/general contracting team that built the downtown Los Angeles bridge, replacing the original iconic structure featured prominently in movies, videos and television.