Van Voast Avenue Bridge

The city’s Improvement Committee recommended its construction, ^[4] and work began in November 1902 to provide students with a safe crossing over the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) on their way to the Poplar Street School. ^[1]

The bridge was closed in 2000 after the railroad deemed it unsafe. ^[2][6] When plans emerged to scrap it, more than 100 residents petitioned the city to preserve the structure. ^[6] On January 30, 2003, it was removed and sent to Intech Contracting in Lancaster, Kentucky, for renovation with the aid of a $160,500 Kentucky Transportation Enhancement Grant. ^[5] Work concluded in August of that year. ^[6]

Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) later approved funding for a rehabilitation project to reopen the bridge, with an initial cost estimate of $155,000 and a required city match of $31,000. ^[2] The plan called for new decking and professional repainting and awaited CSX approval, with work originally expected to begin in late 2022.

The project was delayed and is now scheduled for 2026. ^[3] The OKI will fund $757,000, with the city contributing $189,250. Planned work includes replacing the stairs and decking and repainting the historic span. ^[7]