Purple People Bridge

Photos 

Overview from Mt. Adams

Photo submitted by Jonathan Maxwell

BH Photo #108275

Map 

Street Views 

Facts 

Overview

Five-span through truss bridge over the Ohio River formerly carrying the Louisville & Nashville Railroad) and US 27 between Cincinnati and Newport

Location

Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, and Campbell County, Kentucky

Status

Open to pedestrian traffic only

History

First built 1872 as a Whipple through truss bridge; reconstructed 1897; railroad service discontinued 1987; closed to road traffic 2001; rehabilitated and reopened to pedestrians 2003

Builders

- Edge Moor Bridge Works of Wilmington, Delaware (Superstructure)
- Hutte & Foley of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Substructure)
- M. J. Becker (Engineer)

Railroads

- Interurban
- Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N; LN)
- Rail-to-trail

Design

Major spans from north to south:
One 5-panel Pratt deck truss
One 6-panel (?) Pratt deck truss
One pin-connected, 20-panel Pennsylvania through truss
Four pin-connected, 8-panel Parker through trusses

Dimensions

Length of largest span: 509.8 ft.
Total length: 2,759.0 ft. (0.5 mi.)
Vertical clearance above deck: 21.1 ft.

Recognition

Posted to the National Register of Historic Places

Also called

Newport & Cincinnati Bridge (original name)
Newport Southbank Bridge (modern official name)
L&N Ohio River Bridge

Approximate latitude, longitude

+39.09802, -84.49775   (decimal degrees)
39°05'53" N, 84°29'52" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

16/716389/4330634 (zone/easting/northing)

Quadrangle map:

Newport

Inventory number

BH 27612 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Update Log 

• September 25, 2017: New photo from Dave King
• July 14, 2014: New Street View added by Ralph Demars
• February 19, 2013: Updated by Nathan Holth: Added Super and Sub Structure Contractors, and Engineer
• June 21, 2010: New photos from Anthony Dillon
• April 11, 2010: New photos from James McCray
• April 10, 2010: New photos from J.P.
• April 1, 2010: Updated by Bill Eichelberger: Added Google Street View.
• January 10, 2010: Updated by Bill Eichelberger: Added GPS coordinates.
• November 12, 2008: New photo from Bill Eichelberger
• November 28, 2005: Posted photo from J. Star

Related Bridges 

• Newport & Cincinnati Bridge (Predecessor)

Sources 

• Jonathan Maxwell - themaxwellshouse [at] roadrunner [dot] com
• Wikipedia
• Bill Eichelberger
• J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
• James McCray - jamesinslocomb [at] yahoo [dot] com
• Tony Dillon - spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com
• Historicbridges.org - by Nathan Holth
• Nathan Holth
• Dave King - DKinghawkfan [at] hotmail [dot] com

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