LADOTD needed a statewide historic bridge inventory for bridges constructed through 1970 to support project programming. Our historians completed the necessary data collection and evaluations for more than 4,500 bridges. We determined 150 of those are eligible according to National Register criteria. We researched and developed a historic context that guided the National Register evaluation criteria and eligibility determinations. We used the compiled data and created an evaluation methodology. Using the methodology and onsite surveying and photography, we assessed the bridges for National Register significance and historic integrity. We further prioritized the historic bridges based on engineering criteria to select bridges best suited for preservation.
We negotiated a Programmatic Agreement (PA) that outlines LADOTD’s commitment to historic bridges and streamlines Section 106 for LADOTD project execution. To fulfill PA stipulations, we prepared management plans for 33 historic bridges to guide their preservation, completed Historic American Engineering Record documentation of the state’s major bridge types and authored an illustrated publication of the state’s historic bridges.