Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena, Los Angeles County

Colorado Street Bridge

The Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena was said to be the highest concrete bridge in the world, rising 150 feet above Arroyo Seco, when it was completed in 1913. Construction took 18 months requiring some 11,000 cubic yards of concrete and 600 tons of reinforcing steel. The bridge had a bad reputation before it was even built, as a construction worker fell to his death and landed in the wet cement under the bridge. During the early part of the 20th century, the Colorado Street Bridge became known locally as “Suicide Bridge” after dozens of people leaped to their deaths. The bridge fell into disrepair and was closed in 1989 for safety reasons, but with $27 million in Federal, State and local funds, the bridge was renovated and reopened in 1993. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places and is an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.