Sixth Street Viaduct
Cycle Lane Protection

Project Overview

Sixth Street Viaduct Cycle Lanes

The Sixth Street Viaduct is the largest bridge project in the history of Los Angeles. The $588 million structure, funded by the Federal Highway Administration, the State of California and the City, replaced the original 1932 viaduct, a Hollywood landmark that had to be demolished because of seismic vulnerability and a chemical reaction degrading its concrete supports. The old bridge closed in 2016, construction began in 2017, and the new 3,500 ft span opened to the public on 10 July 2022, reconnecting the downtown Arts District with Boyle Heights across the Los Angeles River, the 101 Freeway and 18 sets of railroad tracks.

The new viaduct carries 10 ft wide bike lanes in both directions. To keep those lanes physically separated from traffic, Rosehill Highways supplied 930 bespoke recycled-rubber cycle lane dividers, developed with US traffic safety specialists US Reflector Co. and manufactured in the UK.

The Challenge

The Challenge

• !The new bike lanes needed physical protection from the adjacent traffic lanes on a brand-new concrete bridge deck
• !Units had to attach quickly and securely to the road surface, without breaking out the deck
• !The profile had to meet local requirements and carry a US-specification delineator post, rather than adapt a standard UK product
• !The dividers had to be removable, reusable and redeployable as the scheme evolves

Objectives

Project Objectives

1. Provide physical separation between the bike lanes and general traffic on the viaduct
2. Surface-fix every unit without breaking out the new deck
3. Shape the unit to the local specification rather than adapt a standard catalogue profile
4. Offer a lower-carbon alternative to traditional materials
5. Deliver in time for the summer 2022 opening

Our Solution

The Solution

1. In 2021, as the viaduct neared completion, traffic safety specialists US Reflector Co. approached Rosehill Highways to develop a sustainable way of protecting the bike lanes. Working with their engineers and designers, we developed a bespoke lane divider for the project, which US Reflector Co. brand StarCurb for the US market
2. Each divider is a solid rubber unit moulded in the UK using our cold-cure process, from 100% recycled tyre rubber bonded with Rosehill Polymers' polyurethane binder
3. The low, tapered profile is surface-fixed to the deck and carries a US Reflector Co. delineator post, giving cyclists a clear visual and physical boundary
4. Because the units are fixed rather than cast in, they can be removed, reused and redeployed if the lane layout changes

Results & Impact

Results

• Both bike lanes on the viaduct have been protected by the dividers since the bridge opened in July 2022
• Units can be lifted and redeployed as the scheme evolves, extending their service life
• A bespoke profile delivered to a US specification, showing that Rosehill can design and manufacture to local requirements
• A lower-carbon alternative to traditional materials, made from 100% recycled tyre rubber