Pico and San Vicente Viaduct in Demolition, January 1963
Ralph Cantos Photo, Ralph Cantos Collection
The end has come for the San Vicente Viaduct. It was a cold, dark, and drizzly over cast day, when I snapped this photo with my little “Brownie Box Camera” in January 1963. An army of demolition exerts aided by bulldozers and two heavy crane mounted wrecking balls, finally did the mighty span in.
The job had been scheduled to take 8 weeks, but dragged on for more then 14 weeks. The bridge did not give up as easily as the contractor had thought it would.
Ralph Cantos Photo, Ralph Cantos Collection
David Cameron Photo, Pacific Railroad Society Collection
UPDATE: A color shot taken in February 1962 by David Cameron showing the same demolition work underway. The perspective is San Vicente Boulevard looking west from Pico Boulevard.
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What a destructive period of time for LA Transit. This photo being made in January of 1963, March of 1963 would see the end of all electric rail service with MTA throwing in the towel on the remainder of their electric lines.
The west end of the heavily traveled P Line was a few feet west of this location on Pico Blvd.
Properly mixed concrete that has had time to “age” can present a real challenge to demolition crews. When the PE bridge over Foothill Blvd. (Historic Route 66) near Upland was removed, that old (1929?) concrete put up quite a fight.