1872,1897 Purple People Bridge, Former L&N+US-27 over Ohio River at Cincinnati, OH

(Bridge Hunter, Historic Bridges, B&T; 3D Satellite)

(Update: a history and photo galleries)

The existing 1897 trusses replaced the original Whipple trusses built in 1872. Railroad service was discontinued in 1987 when CSX transferred its former-L&N traffic to its former-C&O Bridge. Road traffic was removed in 2001. It was rehabilitated and reopened to pedestrians in 2003.

Historic postcard submitted y Jonathan Maxwell to Bridge Hunter

eBook

Darrin Roark posted
1918 Cincinnati Ohio - An awesome image of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Bridge showing a steamboat on the river and a steam locomotive crossing this bridge during the ice gorge that took place that winter. If you look very closely at this image, people can be seen walking through all of that jagged ice. That is extremely dangerous because ice has the tendency to shift rapidly on a frozen river due to the strong currents underneath the ice. This bridge is now called the Purple People Bridge.

The 1872 bridge:

cincinnati-transit
View of original bridge from Newport. 

 

Jon Bentz posted
DT&I GP38 202 leads a freight crossing the L&N Bridge between Newport, KY and Cincinnati, OH. This bridge no longer hosts rail or automobile traffic and is now a pedestrian bridge. 1980
Dan Gurley shared
Chad E. Teagarden: I have seen in several pictures especially on bridges why are there more than one set of rails?
Kevin John Henley: Chad E. Teagarden I believe it helps keep derailed cars’ trucks from twisting too far out of whack as limiting the damage until the train can cross the bridge and get equipment to the scene.
I think they are legit just called ‘guard rails’
Aaron Grace: Kevin John Henley That is indeed what they are for.

Pete Zimmerman posted
Riverboat City of Cincinnati (1899-1918) Detroit Publishing No. 071954 in the Library of Congress collection. (photographer unknown)
[Seeing a steamboat by the bridge drove home how old the 1897 bridge is.]

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Satolli Glassmeyer shared

1872
The Purple People Bridge
(The Newport & Cincinnati Bridge)
Newport, Kentucky
We've all walked across this massive bridge connecting Cincinnati & Newport but did you know this was the first railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River in this area? Here's a video on the history of the bridge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVMIvyO39hk

Four photos of this bridge by Carol Highsmith  I don't know why there are so many false hits. But at least it puts the valid hits first.

Bridges & Tunnels posted seven photos with the comment:

The Purple People Bridge, also known as the Newport Southbank Bridge, is a vibrant and iconic pedestrian bridge that spans the Ohio River, connecting Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky. This remarkable bridge, with its distinctive purple hue, has become a beloved landmark in the region.

➤ Read on more about its history in our latest Journal entry, "The Vibrant Purple People Bridge": http://bridgestunnels.com/.../the-vibrant-purple-people.../

➤ More about the Purple People Bridge, including historical photos: http://bridgestunnels.com/location/purple-people-bridge/

B&T shared with the comment: "The Purple People Bridge/Newport Southbank Bridge is a vibrant and iconic pedestrian bridge that spans the Ohio River, connecting Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky. This remarkable bridge, with its distinctive purple hue, has become a beloved landmark in the region. Read on: http://bridgestunnels.com/2023/07/17/the-vibrant-purple-people-bridge/"

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