Singing Bridge

The historic Singing Bridge carries St. Clair Street across the Kentucky River in Frankfort, Kentucky.

History

In 1810, the city of Frankfort chartered the Frankfort Bridge Company to build a bridge connecting the city’s center to the developing neighborhoods on the south side of the Kentucky River. ¹ The first fixed crossing was completed in 1816 at a cost of $25,000. However, a flood in July 1834 caused the bridge to collapse. Its replacement, completed in December 1835, also failed—collapsing just eight days after it opened and resulting in the deaths of two pedestrians.

A more durable, double-width covered bridge was completed in 1847. ¹ This structure remained in service until 1893, when it was replaced by a stronger iron Pennsylvania through truss bridge. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the new span accommodated streetcars, horse-drawn buggies, and pedestrians. It came to be known as the “Singing Bridge” due to the distinctive sound produced by tires crossing its metal grate deck.

The Singing Bridge carried U.S. Route 60 between 1926 and 1938. In 1992, its lighting was upgraded with support from the Kentucky Bicentennial Commission. ¹ The superstructure underwent major rehabilitations in 1956 and again in 2010.

Replacement

In August 2024, the Singing Bridge was closed due to advanced structural deterioration. ² Over the following eight months, engineers from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), in collaboration with consulting firms and contractors, conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the bridge’s condition. Their analysis concluded that the only safe and viable solution for maintaining a river crossing in downtown Frankfort was to remove the existing structure and construct a new bridge in its place.

KYTC, in partnership with the City of Frankfort, has since initiated preliminary design work for the replacement of the Singing Bridge. ²