The Purple People Bridge fully reopens today, June 3, five days earlier than initially planned, the City of Newport announced.
The bridge was partially closed while repairs were being done; the recent work was necessary to fix long-standing damage on the Cincinnati side that forced the bridge to close for months in 2024.
When that happened, a temporary fix was put in place and the bridge has since “relied on a temporary shoring tower for more than two years,” according to a spokesperson for the City of Newport. At the time, the Purple People Bridge was owned by a private company.
The City of Newport then formally assumed ownership of the Purple People Bridge in 2025. After that, city leaders looked to permanently fix the damage to the bridge. Brian Steffen, assistant city manager of Newport, said the temporary shoring fix was costing the city around $9,000 a month. Fixing the bridge permanently was estimated to cost more than $250,000, but City of Newport leaders said those costs were offset by contributions from meetNKY, the Northern Kentucky Port Authority, BeNKY, Western & Southern, Procter & Gamble, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
“This is a proud day for Newport and for the entire region,” Tom Guidugli, Newport’s mayor, said in a press release. “We set out to move the Purple People Bridge from temporary fixes to a permanent solution and thanks to the city’s leadership and the commitment of our partners, we’ve delivered that solution ahead of schedule. Reopening this bridge five days early means getting one of our region’s most beloved assets back to the public faster than anyone expected.”
Newport has also obtained $2 million from Kentucky budget legislation that will fund the installation of dynamic, color-changing LED lighting on the bridge.
