I had plans to go with a friend to last weekend's Kentucky-Miami (OH) football game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. To get there, I took the interstate but only as far as the river. We parked in Newport, had a pitcher of beer at the Beer Sellar on the river, and boarded a water taxi which ferried us across and down the river to a spot between the stadium and the baseball ballpark (they do the same thing before Reds' games).Aside from enjoying a few minutes on the water, one of the biggest perks was traveling under the Roebling Bridge. Named after its architect, John A. Roebling, the bridge was constructed over a ten-year span and was completed in 1867.
If either the name Roebling or the appearance of the bridge seem familiar to you, they are. After finishing the Cincinnati-Covington bridge, Roebling's services were utilized in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge which began in 1870 and concluded in 1883. The similarities between the two bridges are clear.
At 1,224 feet, the Roebling Bridge was (at the time of its completion) the world's longest suspension bridge. This record was surpassed by the Brooklyn Bridge which spanned 1,595 feet.
Also pictured (far left) is the Ascent at Roebling's Bridge, a 22-story condominium project that was designed by Daniel Libeskind. The structure won world-wide aclaim and was named the best high-rise in America in 2008 by CNBC. I first noticed the Ascent from the Reds' ballpark during a July 2008 game and it is certainly a beautiful building.
Oh, and Kentucky won the game, 42-0. Go Cats!
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Historic suspension bridge being repainted (The Associated Press)
COVINGTON, Ky. -- A multimillion-dollar paint job is getting under way on the historic suspension bridge that links Covington with Cincinnati over the Ohio River.
The Kentucky Enquirer reports crews are setting up equipment to begin work on the Roebling Suspension Bridge. The project will cost $16.2 million.
A nonprofit group continues to raise funds to replace lights on the bridge, which was opened in 1866 and was a model for the Brooklyn Bridge, designed later by the same architect, John A. Roebling.
The bridge will be painted in 100-foot sections. Each section will be totally enclosed while it is sandblasted and given three coats of blue paint.
Tom Schomaker, chief engineer for the Northern Kentucky transportation district, says the bridge carries an average of 10,000 vehicles a day.