The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O) Cincinnati Bridge connects Cincinnati, Ohio to Covington, Kentucky.
The original C&O Bridge, constructed between 1886 and 1889, existed directly adjacent to the current span to the east.(1) In 1929, a new railroad bridge was constructed and the original C&O span was retrofitted for automobile use. The retrofitted bridge was later demolished and replaced with the new Clay Wade Bailey bridge in 1974.
The new Bailey Bridge followed the alignment of the original C&O bridge, and used one of the original main piers which limited the new bridge’s lanes to three.(1) It’s 675-feet main span length was identical to the adjacent railroad bridge from 1929. A second C&O pier was extended west, creating a shared pier that dates to 1929 and 1974. The northern pier of the 1889 C&O Bridge was removed, which allowed a wide 675 ft. navigation channel along the river.
- Designation: CSX
- Crosses: Ohio River
- Bridge type: Steel Girder
- Main span length: 675-feet