4th Street Bridge

The 4th Street Bridge carries KY Route 8 over the Licking River between Covington and Newport, Kentucky.

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History

1853 Suspension Bridge

The 4th Street Bridge, carrying KY Route 8, connects Covington and Newport, Kentucky, across the Licking River.

On January 27, 1830, the General Assembly of Kentucky enacted legislation to incorporate the Licking Bridge Company, which aimed to build a toll bridge across the Licking River, connecting Covington and Newport. ^{4 5} The company’s incorporators were some of the most distinguished residents of the time, including James Taylor, Richard and William Wright Southgate, Edward Colston, Samuel Kennedy, and others. The company’s charter mandated that it could officially organize after selling 2,000 shares. The bridge’s construction was required to commence by 1832 and to be completed within six years. However, due to insufficient funding, construction never started, leading to the eventual dissolution of the corporation.

Following the publication of an article by the Licking Valley Register, which detailed the successful completion of an iron suspension bridge over the Miami Canal at Race Street in Cincinnati—the first of its kind west of the Allegheny Mountains—and highlighted another successful project by Charles Ellett over the Schuylkill River in Fairmount, Pennsylvania, the residents of Covington and Newport began to consider the feasibility of constructing a wire suspension bridge over the Licking River. ⁵ On June 27, 1844, a public meeting took place in Newport to discuss the feasibility of constructing a bridge similar to the one over the Schuylkill River. At this meeting, Marcus T. C. Gould reviewed the success of the Schuylkill bridge and reported that a comparable bridge could be constructed over the Licking River for an estimated cost of as little as $20,000.

By mid-August 1844, the city of Newport and approximately 80 individuals had invested in the stock of a newly established bridge company, which proposed the construction of a suspension bridge over the Licking River. ⁵ The company’s inaugural meeting was held on August 31, during which the shareholders elected six directors and appointed Marcus T. C. Gould as president. Construction of a bridge pier on the Newport shore commenced in the first week of April 1845. However, this work was quickly halted due to a shortage of funds.

In 1849, officials from Newport and Covington commissioned Charles Ellet, a renowned designer of suspension bridges, to create plans for a suspension bridge that would connect Covington and Cincinnati, Ohio, across the Ohio River. ² Ellet proposed a design for a bridge with an estimated construction cost of $300,000. Ellet also proposed to construct a suspension bridge over the Licking River, with work to begin by April 1 and be complete by the end of the year, but the proposal never came to fruition. ⁵

Subsequently, in January 1852, the Newport & Covington Suspension Bridge Company was established through an act of the state legislature. ^{1 2 5} The act provided that the cities of Covington and Newport could subscribe for stock in the bridge, and within ten years, both cities or either had the option of purchasing the bridge for the cost of construction plus 6% interest. ⁵

By June 1853, John Gray of Pittsburgh had commenced the construction of the suspension bridge, with George C. Tarvin overseeing the project. ^{1 2 5} By November of that year, the bridge’s wires had been successfully strung across the channel. This intricate process involved attaching a rope to each of the bridge’s eight cables and utilizing a system of pulleys, rollers, and drums located on the riverbanks, as well as on the hulls of steamboats moored in the river. ^{2 5} The eight cables, each 902 feet long and collectively weighing 88 tons, were connected to two 93-foot-tall brick towers. ⁵ Six of these cables were made up of 250 strands of wire each, while the remaining two contained 308 strands each.

The new suspension bridge opened on December 28. ⁵ The total construction cost of the bridge amounted to $75,000 to $80,000. ^{2 3}

However, poorly manufactured cast iron rings that held the cables broke on the evening of January 16, 1854, causing the main span to collapse into the river. ^{1 3 5} At that time, Taylor Keys and Henry Clinkum were riding horses, and several men were driving 18 head of cattle across the bridge. Fortunately, only four cows drowned, and there were no human casualties. The bridge sustained damage estimated at $14,000 but was subsequently repaired and reopened in May 1854.

In the two decades following its construction, the bridge underwent multiple renovations, which included the addition of trusses. ¹ Notably, in 1867, Washington Roebling, the son of famed bridge designer John Roebling, was involved in one of these renovation projects. ⁵ Then, in the early 1870s, the cities of Covington and Newport each issued bonds worth $75,000 to jointly purchase the bridge. ¹

On August 23, 1923, The Kentucky Post advocated for the removal of tolls charged to motorists, which generated over $10,000 annually for each city. ¹ This revenue was significantly higher than the annual interest of $2,750 per city on the bonds used for purchasing and repairing the bridge. Pedestrian tolls had already been abolished in January of the same year.

While Newport officials were in favor of abolishing tolls, Covington officials were initially reluctant. ¹ Finally, in February 1926, both cities agreed to eliminate tolls on the 4th Street Bridge. ^{1 2} The last toll was collected by Charles Fischer just before midnight on March 1, 1926. ²

1936 Truss Bridge

In the years after tolls were abolished, significant repairs were made to the 4th Street Bridge. ¹ This included the installation of a new six-inch thick floor, which was two inches thicker than the previous flooring, and the addition of a new girder and bracing on the Covington side to enhance the bridge’s strength. After closing for much of the year, the bridge reopened to traffic on November 30, 1932. ¹⁰ However, these repairs were only a temporary solution, as both cities began advocating for the state to replace the bridge entirely. 1

In June 1933, J. Lyter Donaldson announced that the area would receive $675,000 in state highway funds, with $250,000 allocated for constructing a new 4th Street Bridge. ¹ The old bridge was initially scheduled to close in September 1934 for the construction of the new one, but this was postponed to allow the Citizens Bell Telephone Company to remove their lines from the bridge and lay a new line under the river. The bridge eventually closed on October 17. ^{1 2}

The closure of the 4th Street Bridge also marked the end of the Crosstown streetcar line, which had connected downtown Covington to downtown Newport, as there were no plans to include streetcar lines on the new bridge. ¹ Streetcar traffic was permanently redirected over the Belt Line through the Shortway Bridge at 11th Street.

The demolition contract for the old bridge was awarded to E. W. Carron & Sons of Covington. ¹ The Temple Foundation Company of Cincinnati began working on the substructure in November 1935. The new 4th Street Bridge, officially named the World War Veterans Memorial Bridge, was completed and dedicated on July 23, 1936. ^{1 10}

The new bridge had a total length of 1,002 feet, with a main span of 252 feet, two auxiliary spans each measuring 128 feet, and several approach spans varying in length from 35 to 48 feet.

The 4th Street Bridge underwent rehabilitation in 1983, which involved the reconstruction of the barrier walls and driving surface. It reopened to traffic that September. ⁹

Replacement

By the 21st century, the 4th Street Bridge was considered functionally obsolete, being inadequate in width and height for current vehicle sizes, weights, and traffic volumes. ^{6 7} The sidewalks on the bridge were also seen as too narrow and not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The bridge had also exceeded its original design lifespan and was structurally deficient with a posted weight limit. ⁷ Several structural elements on the main span would require replacing, including the full replacement of the deck truss approach.

In response to these issues, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) initiated public meetings in 2021 to gather feedback and ideas for the design and construction of a new 4th Street Bridge. ⁶ The KYTC presented four preliminary design options for the new bridge:

1. An arch bridge with a main span of 446 feet and a height of 58 feet above the roadway.
2. A cable-stayed bridge featuring a 350-foot main span and a height of 74 feet above the roadway.
3. An inclined arch bridge with a 340-foot main span and a 64-foot height above the roadway.
4. A wire suspension bridge with a 340-foot main span and a height of 90 feet above the roadway.

Each design included two 12-foot shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as four traffic lanes. ⁶

However, these plans have faced opposition from the Coalition for Transit and Sustainable Development and the Devou Good Foundation. ⁶ These groups have protested the proposed designs, advocating for the inclusion of streetcar tracks on the bridge, despite there being no active streetcar proposals for either Covington or Newport, and called for the number of traffic lanes to be reduced.

The Kentucky Highway Plan has allocated $68 million for the design and construction of the new bridge. ⁸

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Gallery

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Details

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Sources

1. Reis, Jim. “Fourth Street Bridge History.” Pieces of the Past, Vol. 2, pp. 171-173.
2. Reis, Jim. “Licking River Bridge.” Pieces of the Past, Vol. 1, pp. 227-228.
3. “A Great Work in Ruins.” Covington Journal, 21 Jan. 1854, p. 3.
4. “Chap. CCLXXVIII.” Laws of Kentucky, pp. 109-115.
5. Tenkotte, Paul A. “Our Rich History: Newport and Covington Suspension Bridge was completed in 1853.” NKY Tribune, 18 Nov. 2019.
6. Jordan, Felicia and Kristen Swilley. “KYTC reveals four design options for 4th Street Bridge, all with shared-use walkways.” WCPO, 10 Aug. 2023.
7. “KY 8 Licking River Bridge Scoping Study.” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Nov. 2016.
8. “KY 8 Licking River Bridge Project.” Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
9. “Licking River bridge fixed.” Courier-Journal, 30 Sept. 1983, p. B3.
10. “Hectic History of Old Fourth Street Bridge Recalled as New Licking Span is Completed.” Kentucky Post, 22 Jul. 1936, pp. 1-6.