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From The Archives: A Motorcyclist's Final Ride On The Old 6th Street Bridge
The previous iconic 6th Street Bridge is shown after its closure to traffic on January 27, 2016. The crumbling Sixth Street Viaduct that has appeared in scores of Hollywood productions was ultimately closed and demolished due to safety concerns after its concrete has become weakened by a rare chemical reaction.
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Mark Ralston
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AFP via Getty Images
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Editor's Note: This story was published in 2016 before the demolition of the original 6th Street Viaduct. We're sharing it again as the city celebrates (with some speed bumps along the way) the opening of its replacement.
Filmmaker Jacob Moss' "The Viaduct" has a simple plot: a motorcyclist decides to take Los Angeles' 6th Street Bridge for one final ride.
We see the man as he makes coffee in his dimly lit apartment and watches the morning news. As a newscaster discusses the bridge's recent closure, we fade into sweeping shots of our protagonist riding his 2009 Triumph Bonneville through an uncrowded Los Angles after dark.
"The Viaduct" isn't Moss' first motorcycle short. Cope, which was featured at the 2015 Motorcycle Film Festival in New York, is about a man who suffers with stress related to both his work and personal life. As he tries to relax, he imagines taking a motorcycle for a desert ride.
Demolition on the historic bridge began February of this year. Though the bridge was loved by many and had appeared in several iconic films, music videos and photos, it was not structurally stable. The bridge will be replaced by a more earthquake-friendly solution by 2019.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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