# Purple People Bridge

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 major reconstruction for the bridge was started. It involved constructing two new streetcar and carriage decks, as well as adding a rebuilding the existing truss into a Pennsylvania prat truss. This was completed in 1897, and done to modernize the bridge, despite only being 25 years old, it had already been rendered obsolete with the increased weight of trains.
In 1904, the bridge was renamed the L&N (Louisville and Nashville) Railroad Bridge. At this point the bridge's deck was paved with asphalt to allow for improved usage.
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 made plans to purchase the vehicular and streetcar sections of the Bridge. This transaction was met with resistance from the L&N Railroad since the tolls started to become profitable with an increase in automobile traffic, though on November 15, 1935, these parts of the bridge were sold off.
On November 11, 1941, at 2 p.m, tolls were abolished from the crossing after the bonds had been paid off. An hour later, a dedication of the now free bridge was held.
On July 3, 1950, the bridges streetcar tracks was closed. The cantilevered span was dismantled, and the truss span was replaced by a pedestrian walkway.
In 1956, a loop ramp from 2nd Street was opened to traffic. Also around this time, the railroad tracks were converted to go in one direction at peak travel times in the mornings and evenings.
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 became a subsidiary.
In 1980 the vehicular/pedestrian side was repainted and redecked.
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 north approach and removing the train deck, this was all competed in 1987.
In 2000, the Newport approach was partially demolished with the opening of a new parking garage next to it.
In October 2001, the vehicular lanes were permanently closed, this was after over a decade of urban decay. 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. 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 was competed 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; which 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.
In 2022, the Newport Southbank Bridge 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