Purple People Bridge

Newport Southbank Bridge
The bridge viewed from the river in 2022
Coordinates	39°05′53″N 84°29′52″W
Carries	pedestrians
Crosses	Ohio River
Locale	Newport, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio
Other name(s)	Purple People Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Truss bridge
Total length	2,670 feet (810 m)
Newport and Cincinnati Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Spans Ohio River, Cincinnati, Ohio
Built	1868–1872
Architect	Becker, M.J.; et al.
Architectural style	Subdivided Pratt truss
NRHP reference No.	01000364
Added to NRHP	April 17, 2001
History
Opened	April 1, 1872 (extensively rebuilt from 1896-1897)
Location

Purple-clad people crossing the Newport Southbank Bridge

Stereoscopic image of the bridge before its 1897 reconstruction.

The Purple People Bridge is a pedestrian-only bridge that stretches 2,670 feet over the Ohio River, connecting Newport, Kentucky to downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

History

The original bridge first opened on April 1, 1872, under the name Newport and Cincinnati Bridge, and was Cincinnati's first railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River. The bridge piers were built with stone from Adams County, Ohio.

In 1896 a reconstruction of the bridge began. Designed by engineer M. J. Becker, it involved constructing two new streetcar and a carriage deck, with the latter being partially cantilevered. This work also rebuilt the existing railroad deck into a Pennsylvania prat truss. This was done to modernize the bridge, as it had become obsolete with the increased weight and frequency of trains. Tolls were to be collected on the carriage deck, in order to pay for the bridge's maintenance, as well as to make a profit. The bridge's approaches were also reconstructed. Work was completed in December 1897.

In 1904, the bridge was renamed the L&N (Louisville and Nashville) Railroad Bridge, when that company purchased it. Soon after, the vehicle deck was given a new asphalt driving surface for automobiles, among other improvements.

After the opening of the Dixie Terminal's lower level on November 27, 1921, the CN&C's streetcar tracks were reconfigured to cross the Central Bridge, and the L&N Railroad Bridge was restricted to emergency use only. In 1928, the Kentucky Highway Department proposed purchasing the vehicular deck and streetcar deck alongside their respective truss section, in order to eliminate tolls. This was met with resistance from the L&N Railroad since the tolls started to become profitable with the increase in automobile traffic. However, the city threatened to build a competing bridge nearby, fearing this, a deal was eventually struck, and on November 15, 1935, these parts of the bridge were sold. Tolls were not removed immediately, as a three percent interest rate needed to be paid off. However, on November 11, 1941, at 2 p.m., tolls were abolished from the crossing after the bonds for the purchase had been paid off. An hour later, a dedication of the now free bridge by the mayor and other officials was held.

On July 3, 1950, the bridge's streetcar tracks were closed. The west track was dismantled, and the east track was replaced by a new pedestrian walkway. In 1956, a loop ramp from 2nd Street was opened to traffic. Also around this time, the railroad deck was altered to go in one direction at peak travel times in the mornings and evenings. In the 1960s, there were proposals to replace the bridge as part of construction of Interstate 471. This never occurred, with a separate bridge instead being built nearby. In 1971, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) purchased the remainder of the L&N shares it did not already own, and the L&N, and by extension the bridge, came under their control.

In 1980, the road and pedestrian trusses were repainted, and the road deck was replaced.

SCL absorbed the L&N entirely in 1982 with the newly merged company known as Family Lines.

At the end of June 1984, the bridge's tracks were abandoned. In 1986, the SCL formally merged with the Chessie System, which became CSX Transportation (CSX). At this point, work began on demolishing the rail approaches and removing the train deck, which was competed in 1987.

Throughout the 1990s, the bridge was lightly used for automobiles. In addition, after the bridge's rail tracks were removed, the CSX ceased maintenance of them, resulting in a notable rust, this was while the rest of the crossing was still painted. In 2000, the Newport approach was partially demolished with the opening of a new parking garage next to it. In October 2001, after years of neglect, the vehicular deck was closed. At this point, the city of Newport, Kentucky, and Southbank Partners, a regional economic development organization, used $4 million in state funds to restore the bridge and convert the deck into a pedestrian one. When it was time to decide on what color to paint it, a variety of options were explored. Computer-generated images of the bridge were shown to participants in more than a dozen focus groups, all of whom picked the color purple as a top choice. It was soon nicknamed the "Purple People Bridge" by area residents. This project – with Olivier repairing the trusses, rebuilding the approaches, and replacing the secular deck with an expanded walkway – was completed in May 2003. At which time, the City of Newport and Southbank Partners, created the non-profit Purple People Bridge Company, formerly known as the Newport Southbank Bridge Company. Shortly thereafter, the City of Newport deeded over all real property to the Purple People Bridge Company which owns and maintains the bridge (superstructure and approach on land in Newport, KY). Afterwards, the Bridge Company finalized a lease with the City of Cincinnati for the bridge deck on land in Cincinnati, OH, but did not include the bridge piers.

In 2006, it became possible for the public to cross the bridge via its superstructure, though only while wearing appropriate safety gear. There are similar bridge climb experiences in Australia and New Zealand. Citing lack of funds and low attendance, the Purple People Bridge Climb was discontinued on May 23, 2007. This required installation of repair platforms and alterations to the truss design.

In 2012, the purple people bridge company announced they were considering building retail space on the bridge in order to fund work on it. However, they acknowledged that it might not be possible, as such, an engineer would have to see if it was or would need a retrofit to do such.

The bridge was repainted in 2017.

The bridge was repaired in 2021 after damage from a flood.

In 2022, the Newport Southbank Bridge and its owner was officially renamed the "Purple People Bridge", at which point parts of the truss (entryway arches) in Cincinnati and Newport were also repainted purple.

In 2024, the bridge was temporarily closed after parts of the sandstone block fell off of the bridge pier in Cincinnati. Nobody was killed or injured in the accident.

Today, the Purple People Bridge Company, continues to own and manage the bridge while maintaining public access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic in addition to utilizing the former vehicular portion of the bridge as an event venue.

Gallery

• 
  Deck of the bridge
• 
  Underside viewed from the river
• 
  The bridge as viewed from the Carew Tower observation deck
• 
  Bridge establishment plaque
• 
  Pedestrian walkway on the bridge

See also

• List of crossings of the Ohio River

External links

• Official website
• Early bridge photograph circa 1910 from the Cincinnati Memory project
• L&N Cincinnati-Newport Railroad Bridge Archived March 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at BridgeHunter