“The Suspension Bridge,” as many locals refer to it, is one of Greater Cincinnati’s grandest landmarks. But few realize just how iconic and historic this landmark truly is. When this bridge (then known as the Covington and Cincinnati Bridge) opened in December of 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. And while this distinction has been surpassed many times since, the impact that this bridge had for the region was extraordinary. When it was constructed, it was the only crossing of the Ohio River for hundreds of miles. Though it is now joined by nine other bridges in the Greater CIncinnati area, the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge remains Cincinnati’s most iconic landmark
Planning & Construction
John A. Roebling
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The need for Ohio River crossings in Cincinnati began in 1815, the year that Covington, KY was founded as a town. In the decades that followed, ferry operators met much of the need, but increasing traffic meant that a bridge would eventually be necessary. The Kentucky legislature approved a charter for the bridge in 1846, but the Ohio legislature delayed plans until passing their own charter in 1849, due in large part to opposition from steamboat and ferry operators. Once the Covington-Cincinnati Bridge Company had gained approval from both states, they hired Engineer John Roebling to design and build the bridge. Roebling faced many challenges in designing the bridge, as the original Ohio charter required no piers in the river, a main-span length of 1400 feet, and a deck clearance of 112 feet (these specifications were later revised to a more reasonable 1000 foot main-span and 100 foot deck clearance).
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Construction of the north tower began on the Ohio bank in 1856. Despite the excavation for the foundation flooding several times, a pump designed by Roebling allowed construction to continue until the tower reached a height of 45 feet. But in 1858, construction of the bridge came to an abrupt stop due to lack of funds following the the 1857 financial downturn.
For a time, it seemed that this may have been the end of the Suspension Bridge. The uncertainty in the lead-up to the Civil War made raising funds for the bridge difficult. Ultimately though, it was the war that would revive the bridge project. After Confederate forces invaded Kentucky in 1862, threatening Cincinnati, Union General Lewis Wallace planned and constructed a series of fortifications on Northern Kentucky hills to defend the city. To allow troops and supplies easier crossing of the river, General Wallace built a pontoon bridge using coal barges. Although this solution worked during this time of crisis, the need for the pontoon bridge made it abundantly clear that a permanent bridge needed to be completed, and interest in completing Roebling’s bridge was renewed.
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Washington Roebling
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With the sale of additional stock funding operations (helped along by bridge company board member Amos Shinkle), Roebling returned and construction resumed in 1863. Washington Roebling joined his father as his assistant in 1864. After the towers were completed and work on the cables begun, John Roebling left for the east coast in November of 1865, leaving Washington to supervise the remainder of the bridge’s construction. Work continued with minimal delay until the bridge was first opened to pedestrian traffic in December of 1866. The formal opening of the bridge, then the world’s longest, took place on January 1, 1867, while Washington’s crew worked to complete the finishing details until June. When all was complete, John Roebling reported the final cost as $1.8 Million.
The bridge was instantly a success. On its first weekend open to pedestrians in December 1866, over 40,000 crossed the bridge on Saturday, and better weather Sunday led to more than 100,000 crossing. With the bridge offering lower tolls, many ferry operations were going out of business, but before long other bridges were being planned in Covington and Newport, including railroad crossings |
Roebling Suspension Bridge, c. 1870
Reconstruction
Roebling Suspension Bridge Reconstruction, c. 1896
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As time passed, the bridge continued to see increasing use. In 1894, the first electric streetcar lines were added to the bridge, but due to concerns about the strength of the bridge the cars were limited to a slow 1 ½ miles per hour. Recognizing the need to increase the load capacity of the bridge, the Covington-Cincinnati Bridge Company consulted six engineers seeking proposals as to how to do so. The proposal chosen was that of Wilhelm Hildenbrand, the only engineer who supported preserving the suspension span. Hildenbrand began construction in 1895.
Hildenbrand’s design involved rebuilding almost everything but the bridge towers. New approaches, a new steel deck truss, secondary main cables, repositioning the suspension cables, and a wider deck were all part of the project. Hildenbrand’s reconstruction significantly altered the appearance of the bridge, but also significantly extended its lifespan. The project was completed in 1899, with electric lighting added in 1901. |
The Twentieth Century... And On
There have several major and minor changes to the bridge since the 1895 reconstruction. The approaches on both sides have both been significantly changed several times, with the Cincinnati approach still in continual flux as a result of continuing riverfront development. Streetcar ramps to provide grade-separated access to Dixie Terminal were built in the 1920s, converted for use by buses in the 1950s, and removed as part of the Ft. Washington Way reconstruction in 1998. After purchasing the bridge in 1953, the State of Kentucky replaced the wooden deck with steel grate, and then removed the tolls in 1963. Decorative lighting was added to the cables in 1984, and the dome-like turrets atop the towers were replaced with replicas of the originals (removed during the 1895 reconstruction) in the 1990s.
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The Suspension Bridge has become the Cincinnati area’s most recognizable landmark, featured in countless works of photography and art, as well as a variety of local logos and branding. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, declared a National Civil Engineering Landmark in 1982 and renamed for its designer that same year. Although much of the bridges fame outside the region had since been taken on by the Brooklyn Bridge in New York (also designed and built by John and Washington Roebling), the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge continues to be an icon, and thanks to recent maintenance projects in 2006 and 2010 will continue to be so for many years to come.
Sources & Additional Information
I would like to thank cincinnati-transit.net, nkyviews.com, and the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee, whose websites were the source of much of the information in this article.
For More Information
NKYViews.com - http://www.nkyviews.com/kenton/kenton_susp_bridge.htm
Cincinnati-Transit.net - http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/suspension.html
Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee - http://roeblingbridge.org/content/quick-history-roebling-suspension-bridge
John A. Roebling Bio (Wikipedia for now) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Roebling
Washington Roebling Bio (Wikipedia for now) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Roebling
For Additional Photos
CCSBC - http://roeblingbridge.org/content/roebling-bridge-images
Cincinnati-Transit.net (Historic) - http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/suspension-histtour1.html
Cincinnati-Transit.net (Recent) - http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/suspension-tour1.html
NKYViews.com - http://www.nkyviews.com/kenton/kenton_susp_bridge.htm
NKYViews.com - http://www.nkyviews.com/kenton/kenton_susp_bridge.htm
Cincinnati-Transit.net - http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/suspension.html
Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee - http://roeblingbridge.org/content/quick-history-roebling-suspension-bridge
John A. Roebling Bio (Wikipedia for now) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Roebling
Washington Roebling Bio (Wikipedia for now) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Roebling
For Additional Photos
CCSBC - http://roeblingbridge.org/content/roebling-bridge-images
Cincinnati-Transit.net (Historic) - http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/suspension-histtour1.html
Cincinnati-Transit.net (Recent) - http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/suspension-tour1.html
NKYViews.com - http://www.nkyviews.com/kenton/kenton_susp_bridge.htm