Shakespeare Bridge
historical marker
In Los Angeles, California, the Shakespeare Bridge stands as a notable historical landmark. This bridge, officially known as the Franklin Avenue Bridge, was completed in 1926. It was designed by J.C. Wright, a civil engineer with the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, and built by contractor Robert Metcalf. The bridge carries Franklin Avenue over a ravine in the Los Feliz area. Its distinctive Gothic Revival architectural style, featuring steeple-like turrets and pointed arches, led to its popular nickname, the Shakespeare Bridge. This design evoked a medieval, literary appearance. The bridge was constructed to provide roadway access and facilitate residential development in the Franklin Hills neighborhood. In 1974, the City of Los Angeles erected a historical marker, designating the Shakespeare Bridge as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument number 126. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the bridge underwent a seismic retrofit, completed in 1998, to ensure its structural integrity while preserving its original design. The Shakespeare Bridge remains a unique example of decorative public works from the 1920s in Los Angeles.