Updated: LA’s Sixth Street Bridge Closed ‘Until Further Notice’ After Constant Takeovers
Authorities have struggle to stop takeovers on the bridge, and are planning to install speed bumps and other preventative measures.
After repeated police closures, city officials are planning to install speed bumps on Los Angeles' new Sixth Street bridge, reports The Eastsider.
Update 07/27/2022 3:20 a.m. ET: The LAPD announced on Tuesday night the indefinite closure of the Sixth Street bridge due to ongoing illegal activity.
Since its opening on July 10, the bridge has quickly become a hotspot for dangerous driving. The bridge has already seen crashes and carnage, with drivers doing burnouts or lining up to race on the bridge. The past weekend saw the bridge closed three nights in a row as police attempted to disperse crowds at street takeovers.
Plans to curtail this activity involve installing speed bumps on the bridge, said LAPD chief Michel Moore. A center median is also being considered on a temporary basis. These measures would make it difficult to impossible for drivers to execute large circular burnouts on the bridge, reducing its appeal for sideshows.
According to Moore, the bridge is attracting people trying to "find their 15 minutes of fame" by engaging in risky activity and posting it on social media. In this vein, the city is also considering installing fences on the bridge's arches, intended to stop individuals from climbing up for a better view of the action below.
Influencers appear to be flocking to the bridge in droves. Video from YouTuber German in Venice shows all kind of wild antics. We see stunt cyclists filming themselves as they ride in the middle of traffic, to a Corvette driver hanging out of the open roof while a chase car films them from behind.
The city has already taken emergency measures to quell the activity. Workers installed special extra-large ceramic Botts Dots down the center of the bridge on Sunday. These are intended to make it difficult to execute rolling burnouts across the bridge span without incurring damage to the vehicle. German in Venice captured this on Sunday night, shown at 11:46 in the video below:
These measures won't stop all the antics on the bridge, though. It's not just limited to burnouts and drag races, after all. One man was even spotted getting a haircut in the center of the span last week, as covered by NBC LA.
In an update late on Tuesday night, the LAPD announced the Sixth Street bridge will be closed "until further notice". The high incidence of illegal activity on the bridge was cited for the decision. It appears plans to deter sideshows and other activities have not come quickly enough. As seen in reports by CBS Los Angeles, police blocked all vehicular and pedestrian traffic from crossing the span.
Regardless, the hype around the Sixth Street bridge will fade, as all fads on social media eventually do. Until then, though, it's going to take some serious measures to put a stop to the hijinx.
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