NEWPORT, Ky. — The City of Newport has voted to pitch in toward the repairs needed to the Purple People Bridge, according to a press release.
The Newport Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to allocate $62,500 toward the repair of the pedestrian-only bridge, which stretches from Newport to Cincinnati.
The bridge has been closed since May when an official said someone called 911 after they "heard or saw a piece of the bridge pier — either concrete or sandstone — fall."
“It’s like the quickest route going back and forth, especially when you’re walking and running, exercising," said Newport resident Jamal Foster.
The Purple People Bridge is privately-owned, but the owners have said they'd need help to fund the repairs needed to reopen it to the public.
"It's a costly endeavor and the bridge company doesn’t have the funds to continue to do the preventative maintenance necessary for something like this," said Will Weber, president of the Purple People Bridge Company.
Newport's contribution to the repair costs are roughly a quarter of the cost of the overall repair; the city said an estimated $250,000 is required to fully complete the repairs and $125,000 to repair it enough to reopen it.
“This initial raise of money, the $125,000 is to support and stabilize the pier. What we’ll essentially is create a shoring tower that offloads the weight that would otherwise one on this pier be on the tower," explained Weber.
The Northern Kentucky Port Authority is also pledging to help. The economic development company plans to raise funds to help re-open the bridge and support its long-term operation.
Christine Russell, executive director of NKY Port Authority, explained that her organization, alongside the NKY Growth Partnership, will pay the other $62,500, pending approval by their boards on Friday.
"We have a lot of support on both of our boards, they see the value of this project," said Russell.
"The NKY Port Authority, like the City of Newport, realizes we have a heavy lift in front of us," said Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr. "A true regional approach and commitment is necessary for both the temporary fix on the bridge as well as more permanent improvements to its operation and the future opportunities for unleashing potential. The framework of how the Purple People Bridge currently operates is a struggle. We are open to change."
The City of Newport said fundraising efforts will continue and the hope is that the Purple People Bridge will be able to reopen by Labor Day weekend — when Riverfest will be held.
This is the second time in less than five years the bridge has been closed because a stone fell from one of its piers. In May 2021, the bridge closed and remained closed all summer, because of the high price tag on a permanent fix. It finally reopened in the fall, after a $350,000 donation was made — otherwise, the bridge wouldn't have reopened until nearly a year after its closure.
However, that donation just paid for the structural repairs necessary to reopen the bridge in 2021. Fundraising efforts have been ongoing to re-paint the bridge and bring it back to its former, purpler glory. In 2022, it was estimated that work could cost up to $1 million.
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