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SpaceX constructs pedestrian bridge in response to traffic collisions

SpaceX installed a new employee walkway from it's parking structure to company headquarters over Crenshaw Blvd. in Hawthorne. Chuck Bennett/Daily Breeze/SCNG

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has constructed a pedestrian bridge to knock down on the number of traffic collisions near its Hawthorne, California, headquarters.

The SpaceX bridge comes six months after two traffic collisions injured company workers in a crosswalk from the SpaceX HQ to its parking garage, according to The Daily Breeze. The prefabricated pedestrian bridge will link the two structures.

Railing and siding will be added to the bridge skeleton over the next few weeks. It was erected over the weekend by two cranes, about three stories above Crenshaw Boulevard.

Crossing guards will direct traffic in the bustling business corridor around-the-clock as construction continues. The area also houses Tesla’s design studio, Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Lowe’s Home Improvement, PetSmart and the Century Business Center.

Source: ministoj via Imgur

“The bridge will connect SpaceX’s office building to its parking structure, also alleviating foot traffic and car stoppage at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Rocket Road,” SpaceX officials said, in a written statement.

Three women were injured by a hit-and-run driver on December 17, according to police. The women were approaching the parking garage at 2:16 a.m. when a Toyota Camry-like car ran a red light and mowed them down in the Crenshaw Boulevard crosswalk. The women only sustained minor injuries.

On Jan. 26, a driver ran a red light there and hit a pedestrian.

The intersection has a long history of collisions, with officials saying that vehicles routinely run the red light at the intersection. Earlier crashes occurred in january 2015 when a driver ran a red light, and in March 2013 when a vehicle attempted a U-turn and went onto the sidewalk, hitting someone. In all cases, the victims were either not hurt or sustained only minor injuries, according to police reports.

Drivers first noticed the construction and an “Expect Delays” sign over the weekend.

SpaceX bridge

Source: ministoj via Imgur

SpaceX constructs pedestrian bridge in response to traffic collisions
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