George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge
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| George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge as seen from Louisville Waterfront Park |
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| Carries | 4 lanes of US Route 31 |
| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Locale | Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana |
| Design | Cantilever bridge |
| Longest span | 819.6 feet |
| Total length | 5,746.5 feet |
| Width | 38.0 feet |
| Opening date | 1929 |
| Coordinates | |
The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge is a four-lane cantilevered truss bridge crossing the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana, that carries US 31. It was designed by Paul Philippe Cret of Philadelphia, and construction began in June 1928 by the American Bridge Company of Pittsburgh at a cost of $4.7 million. It was opened to the public in October 31, 1929 as the Louisville Municipal Bridge and operated as a toll bridge. The toll was 35 cents until December 31, 1936, when it became a quarter. The last of the bonds that financed the construction were redeemed in 1946, and the tolls were removed. In 1949, the bridge was renamed in honor of George Rogers Clark, recognized as the founder of Louisville. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1958.
There was a movement in the 1950s to restore tolls, as traffic on the bridge had reached capacity and funding was needed for an additional bridge, but a toll was opposed strongly by most residents. Ultimately most of the funds for two additional bridges (for motor vehicles only) that carry interstate highways came from the federal government.
Locally, the Clark Bridge is also known as the Second Street Bridge, as Louisville's Second Street leads directly to the bridge. This has never been a formal name, however. There is a pedestrian sidewalk on each side of the bridge deck. The Clark Bridge is the only regional Ohio River bridge currently open to non-motorized traffic.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 1984. Since 1991, the bridge has been used as "ground zero" for the annual Thunder Over Louisville event, when a waterfall of fireworks flows along the entire length of the bridge during the fireworks show. This involves traffic being closed for much of the week. This is criticized as it cuts off both the only non-interstate and the only pedestrian route between Louisville and southern Indiana, which can impact local businesses such as bicycle couriers.
The bridge is featured in a scene from the 1981 movie Stripes in which Bill Murray drives his cab to the middle of the span, gets out of the vehicle and then tosses his keys into the river below.[1]
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[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Second Street to Third Street. Retrieved on 2007-02-22.
[edit] References
- "Automobile Bridges". The Encyclopedia of Louisville (1). (2001).
[edit] External links
- George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge at KentuckyRoads.com (unofficial)
- Louisville Art Deco page on Municipal Bridge Building and Pylons
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