Los Angeles River Bridges: Burbank Boulevard Bridges

The Los Angeles River is a concrete-lined channel for most of its 50-mile length between the San Gabriel Mountains and the Pacific. At a few locations, such as just north of the Sepulveda Dam, the river is allowed to meander freely.

The Burbank Boulevard Bridges are three span structures built in 1976. They cross the Los Angeles River just north of the Dam. Their shape is organic, which is very unusual for bridges in California. The piers slope upward and meet a soffit that looks formed by a human hand.

The Dam is also striking, but it was built in 1941 and is much less organic in appearance. These bridges are sculptural, with a style reminiscent of Naum Gabo or Henry Moore. They blend in well with their environment, and are a happy change from the cookie-cutter style of most California bridges.

Los Angeles River Bridges: Burbank Boulevard Bridges by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.