Columbia Parkway Viaduct

 

The Columbia Parkway Viaduct in Cincinnati, Ohio, is one of those silent workhorses, standing tall for decades and doing its job without complaining. Connecting to the Columbia Parkway, it was instrumental in reducing traffic on Eastern Avenue and linking to a scenic roadway with expansive views of the Ohio River. It also provided a convenient route for commuter traffic from the emerging eastern suburbs to downtown and connected downtown to Luken Airport.

 

Opening in 1938, the 17-span, 1,659-foot-long bridge featured eight Pratt deck trusses and nine plate deck girders. The bridge was the final link in the Parkway’s initial construction. The only modification was the addition of ramps to and from Interstate 471 and 6th Street in 1977.

 

The Viaduct underwent rehabilitation in 1997-1999, which included structural steel repairs, a new bridge deck and replica railings, the restoration of the original fixtures, and the repainting of the superstructure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel Carter Beard Bridge

 

The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, also known as the Big Mac Bridge, is a remarkable structure that captivates the eye with its simple design and bold colors. The bridge carries Interstate 471 over the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky, and was dedicated in 1977 after years of construction and controversy.

 

The project was initiated stemming from discussions held regarding the construction of a second interstate bridge between Cincinnati and Kentucky. Plans were eventually settled on building a bridge between the base of Cincinnati’s Mt. Adams neighborhood and Newport, with the proposed Interstate 471 connecting to Interstate 71 in Ohio to Interstate 275 in Kentucky. Land acquisition began in 1968, and plans for the project were approved in 1970.

 

Construction began in 1971, and in 1974, workers had finished building the first arch. To save money and resources, they decided not to construct a separate set of falsework towers for the second arch. Instead, on August 23, they used a hydraulic jack system to move the arch span 70 feet, nine inches upstream, a process that took approximately five hours to complete. Afterward, they began working on the second arch using the same falsework as the first.

 

The downstream bridge opened to two-way traffic in January 1976, with the upstream bridge opening for northbound traffic in October, with the downstream bridge reconfigured for southbound traffic. It was formally dedicated in February 1977 and named after Daniel Carter Beard, the founder of the Boy Scouts of America.

 

The bridge was controversial because the construction of ramps on the Cincinnati approach in 1973-74 caused the hillside in Mt. Adams to collapse. Comprehensive studies into the hillside topography and geology were not conducted because of its high cost. While the solution seemed simple, to simply pile dirt back at the base to stabilize the hillside, the state preferred a different approach, which involved demolishing properties in the lower Mt. Adams neighborhood.

 

 

 

 

 

Purple People Bridge

 

 

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.

 

Originally built in 1872 as a railway bridge, the structure underwent extensive reconstruction in 1897, by which point it carried a railroad track for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N), two streetcar tracks, a roadway for carriages, and a sidewalk for pedestrians–now known as the L&N Railroad Bridge. Tolls on the automobile lanes were removed in 1941, and the streetcar tracks that had been mothballed on the bridge for decades were finally removed in the 1940s.

 

With the consolidation of railroad companies in the 1970s and 1980s, the L&N’s parent company, Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL), opted to coordinate local operations with the Chessie System, which controlled the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad lines in the area. In June 1984, the SCL re-routed trains over the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Cincinnati Bridge, and the tracks on the L&N Railroad Bridge were removed.

 

Due to structural deterioration, the bridge was permanently closed to automobiles in October 2001.

 

At the urging of the Kentucky state legislature, money was appropriated for the complete restoration and painting of the L&N Railroad Bridge. To determine the color for painting the bridge, over a dozen focus groups were convened. Participants in these groups were shown computer-generated images of the bridge in various colors. After careful consideration, all of the focus groups unanimously selected purple as the top choice.

 

 

 

 

Roebling Suspension Bridge

 

There is never a bad day to photograph the historic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge.

 

The Roebling Suspension Bridge is a wire suspension bridge that stretches across the Ohio River connecting Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio. It was opened to pedestrians in December 1866 and to all other traffic in January 1867. With a length of 1,057 feet, it held the record as the longest bridge in the world.

 

The idea for the Roebling Suspension Bridge was first proposed in 1849 by the state of Ohio. The purpose was to establish a connection between Cincinnati and the growing cities in northern Kentucky. The bridge had to meet certain criteria, including spanning the main channel of the river without any piers, having a main span length of 1,400 feet, and providing a deck clearance of 112 feet. John A. Roebling, inspired by the impressive Wheeling Suspension Bridge, presented his proposal, and the rest is history.

 

Over the past few decades, significant efforts have been made to preserve and improve the substructure and superstructure of the suspension bridge. These measures ensure that it will continue to serve as an important transportation route in the region for many years to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great stuff.

very nice work and details.

 

where did you shoot from to get those views?

Me and my wife visited Cincinnati recently and were greatly impressed. Something about older large riverfront cities like Pittsburgh, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Cincinnati that gives them a unique charm. Cincinnati by far is my favorite Ohio city.

7 hours ago, mrnyc said:

very nice work and details.

 

where did you shoot from to get those views?

 

Drone work. I'll typically be pretty close by for these since it's an urban environment and because I need to keep visuals. With the abundance of public sidewalks and flat areas to start/land at that are away from people, with agreeable airspace conditions, it's a pretty easy place to fly at.

 

Back in the day, @CincyImages and I would be scaling buildings and scouting overlooks but a drone makes life ... much easier.

finally, its infrastructure week.

I was just in Cincinnati last night for a quick 24 hour business visit. I took these after wandering around the city. Beautiful bridge and views.