George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge
| George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge | |
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The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge as seen from Louisville Waterfront Park
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| Coordinates | 38°15′49″N 85°45′05″W / 38.26361°N 85.75139°WCoordinates: 38°15′49″N 85°45′05″W / 38.26361°N 85.75139°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of  US 31
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| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Locale | Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana |
| Maintained by | KYTC |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever bridge |
| Total length | 5,746.5 ft (1,751.5 m) |
| Width | 38.0 ft (11.6 m) |
| Longest span | 819.6 ft (249.8 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1929 |
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Louisville Municipal Bridge, Pylons and Administration Building
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Dedication plaque on the bridge
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| Location | Spans Ohio River between Louisville, KY and Jeffersonville, IN, Louisville, Kentucky |
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| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1928 |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, Warren through truss |
| NRHP Reference # | 84001578 |
| Added to NRHP | March 8, 1984 |
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 is known locally as the Second Street Bridge.
It was designed by Ralph Modjeski and Frank Masters with architectural details handled 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. President Herbert Hoover dedicated the bridge. It was opened to the public on 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.
On January 17, 1949, the bridge was renamed in honor of George Rogers Clark, recognized as the founder of Louisville.
The bridge was rehabilitated in 1958.
Muhammad Ali threw his gold medal from the 1960 Rome Olympics into the Ohio river while standing on the bridge.
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.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 1984, as the Louisville Municipal Bridge, Pylons and Administration Building.
In June 2010, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson announced a new $3 million streetscape improvement project directly underneath the Clark Memorial Bridge, a three-block area from Main Street to River Road, which will be transformed into a plaza. This includes a new decorative lighting system under the refurbished Clark Memorial Bridge, wide sidewalks, seats, new pedestrian and festival areas, and extensive plantings, making this an inviting promenade for the new KFC Yum! Center. The project was completed in time for the October 2010 opening of the arena.
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Wikipedia