John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge - Alterations and Designations

Alterations and Designations

The original deck of the bridge was built at the lowest possible cost due to Civil War inflation, but the stone towers were designed to carry a much heavier load than was originally demanded. In 1896, the bridge was painted blue (rather than brown) and received a second set of main cables, a wider steel deck, and a longer northern approach. The reconstruction significantly altered the appearance of the bridge, but the new 30-ton weight limit extended its usefulness through the 20th century and beyond.

The Covington-Cincinnati Bridge Company—a private company—operated the bridge until the Commonwealth of Kentucky purchased it in 1953 for $4.2 million. The state collected tolls until 1963 when the Brent Spence Bridge was opened on Interstate 75, downstream, approximately 0.6 miles (0.97 km) to the west of The Roebling Suspension Bridge.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1983. It remains the busiest of Cincinnati's four non-freeway automobile or pedestrian bridges. Initially called the "Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge" or "Ohio River Bridge," it was renamed in honor of its designer and builder on June 27, 1983.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky closed the bridge on November 13, 2006 to make extensive repairs to the structure. It was scheduled to reopen April 22, 2007, but reopened about a month ahead of schedule in late March. However, it was closed again for much of 2008 for repainting. On September 11, 2007 the Commonwealth of Kentucky reduced the weight limit to 11 tons to prevent future structural damage following an analysis by the University of Kentucky. The new lower weight limit prevents buses from crossing the bridge.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky once again closed the bridge at 9AM on April 7, 2010 for a complete repainting of the bridge. The bridge reopened in November 2010. The closing of the bridge only affected vehicular traffic, while one pedestrian lane remained open.