Fourteenth Street Bridge (Ohio River) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fourteenth Street Bridge
The Fourteenth Street Bridge, as viewed from the Clarksville waterfront
Carries	Louisville and Indiana Railroad and CSX Transportation
Crosses	Ohio River
Locale	Louisville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Indiana
Other name(s)	Ohio Falls Bridge
Maintained by	Louisville and Indiana Railroad
Characteristics
Design	Truss vertical-lift bridge
History
Opened	1870

The Fourteenth Street Bridge is a special kind of bridge that crosses the Ohio River. It connects Louisville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Indiana. People also call it the Ohio Falls Bridge or the L&I Bridge.

This bridge is a truss bridge, which means it uses a strong framework of triangles. It's also a vertical-lift bridge, meaning a part of it can move up and down. This allows boats to pass underneath.

The bridge was built in 1870 by the Louisville Bridge Company. For many years, the Pennsylvania Railroad used it. Today, the Louisville and Indiana Railroad owns and uses the bridge. Other trains, like those from CSX Transportation, also cross it.

Building the Bridge: A Big Idea

People wanted a bridge connecting Louisville to Indiana for a long time. Early attempts to build one happened in the 1830s. A man named James Guthrie tried to build a wooden bridge in 1829. A special stone was even laid in 1836. But money problems stopped the project. This failed attempt was sometimes called "Guthrie's Folly." More tries were made in the 1850s, but they also ran into money troubles.

Why a Bridge Was Needed

By the 1860s, two big train companies, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and the Jeffersonville and Indianapolis Railroad, really wanted a bridge. Crossing the Ohio River was hard, especially in winter. The United States Congress finally said yes to building a bridge on February 17, 1865. They made sure it wouldn't block river traffic.

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad helped pay for the Louisville Bridge Company to start building. Work began on August 1, 1867.

Designing a Super-Long Bridge

A famous architect named Albert Fink designed the bridge. He used his special "Fink truss" design. Stones for the bridge's supports came from Bardstown Junction, Kentucky, and Utica, Indiana.

When it was finished, it was the longest iron bridge in the United States. It had 27 sections and stretched for a whole mile! The bridge was built tall enough for steamboats to pass under. This was important for boats traveling through the Louisville and Portland Canal and past the Falls of the Ohio.

The Bridge in Action

On February 18, 1870, the very first train crossed the new bridge. Locals quickly started calling it the "Fourteenth Street Bridge." Soon, special commuter trains carried people from Jeffersonville and New Albany, Indiana, to Louisville.

Changing Owners and Upgrades

In the mid-1870s, the Pennsylvania Railroad bought most of the bridge. They then controlled it and called it the Pennsylvania Bridge. By 1882, trains used the bridge about 150 times a day!

By the 1900s, the bridge was used even more, sometimes 300 times a day. This was a lot of stress on the old iron structure. So, between 1916 and 1919, a new, stronger steel structure was built on the old stone supports.

A special "lift span" was added to the bridge. This part can go up and down to let tall boats pass. The towers and machinery for this lift span were designed by Waddell and Son, Inc. You can even see a plaque on one of the towers that says, "Waddell Vertical Lift Bridge, Waddell and Son, 1917." This lift span is above the Louisville and Portland Canal, which is part of the McAlpine Locks and Dam.

Modern Ownership

Over the years, the bridge changed hands a few times. In 1968, it became part of Penn Central. Then, in 1976, it was controlled by Conrail. Finally, in March 1994, the Louisville and Indiana Railroad bought the bridge. They still own it today.

Panorama of the Fourteenth Street Bridge

The Bridge Today

The Fourteenth Street Bridge is still an important link today. The Louisville and Indiana Railroad and CSX Transportation continue to use it for their trains. The bridge also marks the eastern edge of Falls of the Ohio State Park, a cool place to visit!

Images for kids

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  View from Portland

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  View from Louisville side

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  View of vertical lift bridge in raised position and of the control tower

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  View from the George Rogers Clark Homesite.

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  Lift span in raised position with towboat "Jim D" passing underneath

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  Looking SW from Clarksville, Indiana, with part of McAlpine Dam at left and Fourteenth Street Bridge at right

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  Looking S from Falls of the Ohio with Fourteenth Street (L&I) Bridge and McAlpine Dam

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  Fourteenth Street Bridge pier and upper gates of McAlpine Dam, 1998