NEWPORT, Ky. — After years spent sporting a faded, blue-ish hue, the Purple People Bridge is celebrating its 150th birthday by donning a new, fresh coat of purple paint.
The bridge won't fully be re-clad in its new purple tone right away, though. According to a press release from The Purple People Bridge Company, only the entryway arch on the Newport side of the bridge will get the fresh coat initially.
The tint is intended to tease what the bridge could look like if fundraising efforts to pay for a full re-paint are successful.
"We are incredibly excited to have Baynum Solutions sponsor our annual fundraiser, Boom on the Bridge by repainting the entryway arch on the Newport side of the bridge," said Will Weber, president of the Purple People Bridge Company, in the press release. "Our re-painting efforts have been ongoing for almost six years now and we believe this new addition will help generate the excitement and momentum to finally raise the $1.5 million necessary to paint the entire bridge."
Boom on the Bridge, an opportunity for people to watch the Western & Southern/WEBN fireworks from the bridge, will be held on September 4 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the Kentucky side. Tickets are $150 per person or $1,500 for a table for eight people.
The Purple People Bridge spent much of 2021 closed after a stone fell from the first pier, triggering inspections and repairs necessary to keep the pedestrian bridge open.
After its closure in May 2021, the Purple People Bridge was faced with a hefty price tag of over $1 million that included the cost of jacking up the Ohio side of the bridge and repainting it.
In October, 2021 a $350,000 donation was made that funded the fixes necessary for the pedestrian-only bridge to reopen by Thanksgiving, but the donation couldn't cover everything the bridge was projected to need.
In August 2021, the estimated cost of fixing the bridge was $200,000, with an extra $1 million needed to fully re-paint it.
