Built in 1914, the bridge replaced the 1898 California Street Bridge, which had closed the prior year due to safety concerns. The open spandrel concrete arch bridge has a Neoclassical design inspired by the City Beautiful movement. The bridge's design is reminiscent of Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge, which was built a year earlier. La Loma Bridge has been called the "little sister" of it, and for the first several years of their existence, the two bridges were the only crossings of the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena.
The La Loma Bridge played a significant role in the development of Pasadena west of the Arroyo, particularly in the San Rafael Heights area, which Pasadena annexed at the same time it constructed the bridge.[2]
The bridge was closed for renovation in July 2015, and reopened on June 24, 2017, with a dedication to former California Attorney General John van de Kamp, a Pasadena native who died on March 14 of that year.[3]
