Newport Southbank Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Newport Southbank Bridge (popularly known as the "Purple People Bridge") stretches 2,670 feet over the Ohio River
, connecting Newport, Kentucky
to downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.
In 1904, the bridge was renamed the L&N
(Louisville and Nashville) Railroad Bridge, and this name remained until the bridge was rehabilitated and re-opened as a pedestrian-only bridge in May 2003.
The bridge was closed to railroad traffic in 1987, and later closed to automobile traffic in October 2001 after years of neglect and deterioration.
On April 17, 2001, the L&N Railroad Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
In late 2001, the city of Newport, Kentucky
, and Southbank Partners, an economic development group, 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 coined the "Purple People Bridge" by area residents.
The bridge provides convenient access to the "Newport on the Levee
" development in Newport, Kentucky, as well as downtown Cincinnati.
In 2006, it became possible for the public to cross the bridge via its superstructure 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 closed on May 23, 2007.
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, connecting Newport, Kentucky
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
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 current bridge was constructed in 1896 and accommodated streetcar, pedestrian and automobile traffic.In 1904, the bridge was renamed the L&N
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
(Louisville and Nashville) Railroad Bridge, and this name remained until the bridge was rehabilitated and re-opened as a pedestrian-only bridge in May 2003.
The bridge was closed to railroad traffic in 1987, and later closed to automobile traffic in October 2001 after years of neglect and deterioration.
On April 17, 2001, the L&N Railroad Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
, and Southbank Partners, an economic development group, 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 coined the "Purple People Bridge" by area residents.
The bridge provides convenient access to the "Newport on the Levee
Newport on the Levee
Newport on the Levee is a lifestyle center located on Third Street in Newport, Kentucky. It is located adjacent to the Purple People Bridge along the Ohio River and has a view of Cincinnati. The Levee is only one block away from the East Row Historic District and the Monmouth Street Historic District...
" development in Newport, Kentucky, as well as downtown Cincinnati.
In 2006, it became possible for the public to cross the bridge via its superstructure wearing appropriate safety gear. There are similar bridge climb experiences in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Citing lack of funds and low attendance, the Purple People Bridge Climb closed on May 23, 2007.
External links
- Early bridge photograph circa 1910 from the Cincinnati Memory project
- Louisville & Nashville RR Bridge at Cincinnati Transit
- Meet the Purple People Bridge at the Cincinnati Enquirer
- Newport Southbank Bridge at Bridges & Tunnels
- Purple People Bridge at Nikibone
