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Los Angeles Hires Tetra Tech to Fortify and Relight Sixth Street Viaduct

Copper wire thefts left the bridge’s signature lighting dark, prompting the city to hire Tetra Tech.

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The City of Los Angeles does a test lighting on the $588 million Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project Friday night in Los Angeles, CA. July 8,2022. Its the largest bridge project in the history of Los Angeles. It is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the California Department of Transportation, as well as City funds. The design of the new bridge, known as The Ribbon of Light was created by HNTB and l bridge built in 1932. (Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer
A car drives across a dark Sixth Street Viaduct in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The $588 million bridge was coined “Ribbon of Light” in 2022 but went dark as vandals and thieves made off with valuable copper wiring. Los Angeles’ Bureau of Engineering engineering is hiring Tetra Tech to fortify and relight the bridge. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Overview

  • City officials said on Feb. 18, 2026 that the Bureau of Engineering selected Tetra Tech to strengthen the structure and restore lighting on the span.
  • The bridge opened in July 2022 as a high-profile replacement for the 1932 crossing and later received a national engineering award for its illuminated arches.
  • Thieves removed roughly seven miles of copper wiring by June 2024, cutting power to large sections of the LED ‘Ribbon of Light.’
  • The City Council backed a California bill targeting wire theft in May 2025 and in October 2025 approved a Metal and Wire Theft Reward program to encourage tips.
  • Published reports list conflicting total costs for the project, citing figures of $558 million and $588 million.