Industrial History: US-27 1890,1995 Bridges over Ohio River at Cincinnati, OH

Monday, February 1, 2021

US-27 1890,1995 Bridges over Ohio River at Cincinnati, OH

1890: (no Bridge Hunter; HAER) Central Bridge

1995: (Bridge Hunter; 3D Satellite) Taylor-Southgate Bridge

At one time US-27 was routed over the Purple/L&N Bridge just upstream.

1890

cincinnati-transit
"It was the first 'standard' cantilever truss bridge ever built -- a design since common throughout the world."
An aerial photo of Central Bridge
A link to a sequence of pages with photos and postcards

Debbie Goodloe posted

I remember the winter of 1976-1977 when the Ohio River froze, bank to bank. We got stopped at Paducah and could go no further.

""Folks have fresher memories of when the Ohio River froze during the 1976-1977 and 1977-1978 winters. On Jan. 19, 1977, the ice was packed eight eight to 12 inches thick along Cincinnati.Hundreds of brave (or foolhardy) souls crossed the river on foot."

I understand the Detroit River does this more often.

"A Canadian-operated boat cuts through the ice in this scene, which shows Windsor in the background."

This adds another element of danger for those in transportation industries.

Pete Zimmerman posted
The Ohio River circa 1904. Cincinnati, Ohio levee, 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. (unknown photographer)
Dennis DeBruler: A nice view of the 1890 bridge that the Taylor-Southgate Bridge replaced.

HAER KY,19-NEWP,2--2

2. OVERALL VIEW OF STRUCTURE FROM THE NEWPORT FLOOD WALL TAKEN FROM THE EAST - U.S. Route 27 Central Bridge, Spanning Ohio River, Newport, Campbell County, KY

The navigation channel span was 520'. It had wrought iron tension members and steel compression members. "It is one of the longest extant bridges constructed by the King Bridge Company in the United States." [HAER-data] But they tore it down anyhow.

HAER KY,19-NEWP,2--7

7. GENERAL VIEW OF THE MIDDLE SPAN TAKEN FROM THE NORTHWEST

Don Sanders updated
The ARTHUR HIDER Alongside a Coal Flat at Cincinnati. The sternwheel, steam, steel hull towboat, 163x30x6, was built by Howard at Jeffersonville, IN in 1898. Engines: 18s by 7' stroke, four boilers. Built for the Mississippi River Commission and transferred to the USE, Vicksburg in 1906.

She was sold at public auction in Sept. 1935 to A. O. Kirschner of Cincinnati who did contract towing. The HIDER was best remembered for the March 1944 transfer of a number of houses, loaded on barges, and taken from Pt. Pleasant, WV to Uniontown, KY.

The steamboat was ultimately sold to Capt. W. C. "Clem" Beatty at Cincinnati in December 1947 and dismantled soon thereafter.

1995

Street View

The description in Bridge Hunter says this 1995 bridge used rivets. Bridges built after the 1970s generally used high-strength bolts. The main span is 850'. Given Kentucky's track record of getting rid of truss bridges, it is interesting that they let a new one touch their shore.