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At least that’s what the upcoming iconic bridge means for Arcadia City Councilman Robert Harbicht. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune recently ran a story on the status of the site-testing for the bridge. While construction is about a year away, the progress is significant, as Harbicht told the newspaper:

“The San Gabriel Valley has been working very hard…to identify itself as a region, partly because of the political clout we should have, since we have 2 million people living here,” Harbicht said. “While it’s (the bridge) technically in Arcadia, we see it as more of a regional kind of thing.”

Of course, the preparation for the bridge is in anticipation of the arrival of the Gold Line Foothill Extension. We hope Councilman Harbicht agrees with us that a viable 21st century light-rail transportation system, combined with an iconic landmark, will put the San Gabriel Valley on the map and give it the distinction and recognition it deserves throughout Los Angeles County.

In our update on the bridge last week, we were wondering what the iconic structure would eventually look like. The process to pick a final design involves an 11-member panel, made up of various public officials from around the San Gabriel Valley and Caltrans, making a recommendation for the Construction Authority’s Board of Directors to consider on July 22, the day before the next Metro Board meeting. We’re eagerly anticipating the decision so we can see the winning design and celebrate another big step forward for the Foothill Extension. Unfortunately (in a fortunate way), for those who have seen the designs at the Authority, even they might have a hard time knowing what the final design of the bridge will encapsulate, as the Authority’s public art consultant Lesley Elwood explained to the Tribune:

“I did look at all the slide images that have been sent in and all of the sketches and I would say the committee would have trouble honing in on one,” Elwood said. “That’s a good thing.”

Many good things are coming for the San Gabriel Valley.

Link to full story: Valley gateway across the 210 Freeway moves closer to reality