BE NKY, a economic development company, and the Northern Kentucky Port Authority approved matching funds in the amount of $62,500 for repairs on the Purple People Bridge on Friday. This follows a pledge of an equal amount of money from the City of Newport earlier in the week.
This brings the total amount of money towards repairs to $125,000. The bridge closed in May after a piece of sandstone broke off of the bridge on the Cincinnati side. The estimated cost for total repairs is $250,000, but this first round of funding aims to provide enough stability to reopen the bridge to pedestrians.
“The Purple People Bridge is an integral connector in the Cincinnati region, allowing nearly one million people a year to cross the Ohio River,” BE NKY Growth Partnership Board Chair Jim Dressman said in a press release. “With Labor Day, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati and BLINK quickly approaching, BE NKY is proud to provide the funding for this important regional icon to get reopened as quickly as possible.”
