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High Bridge Park

Once the Highest Bridge in the World

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typewriter hen built in 1877, High Bridge was the highest railroad trestle in the world. As part of the busiest north-south route in the nation, it is still used heavily today. The restored High Bridge Park, known as the jewel of the Kentucky River Parks, is open to the public, and features a huge Victorian Pavilion on the top of the famed River Palisades, a heart stopping overlook of the Kentucky River Gorge, a playground, museum and facilities for picnicking. Each August, High Bridge Park is home to the High Bridge Homecoming Festival.

High Bridge Park and Historic Bridge

hbp_state egyptian igh Bridge Park in southern Kentucky is a scenic recreational area known for its panoramic views of the Kentucky River and the historic High Bridge, which remains one of the highest railroad bridges over a navigable river in the United States. The park features picnic areas, playgrounds, a retired river tug, and a former Chessie System caboose now painted to honor Southern Railway. The highlight of the park is the overlook, providing a striking view of the engineering marvel of the bridge and the river gorge below. The bridge is 1125 feet long, 275 feet above the river, was opened in 1878 by the Cincinnati Southern Railway and rebuilt in 1911 by successor Southern. With its blend of natural beauty and historical significance, High Bridge Park serves as a popular destination for both locals and tourists.

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Click to see the High Bridge Park and Historic Bridge plotted on a Google Maps page

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1881 Official Guide map / collection

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1881 Official Guide ad / collection

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May 2024 / RWH

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The High Bridge is a railroad bridge crossing the Kentucky River Palisades, that rises approximately 275 feet from the river below and connects Jessamine and Mercer counties in Kentucky. Formally dedicated in 1879, it is the first cantilever bridge constructed in the United States. It has a three-span continuous under-deck truss used by Norfolk Southern Railway to carry trains between Lexington and Danville. It has been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

roebling_inset In 1851, the Lexington & Danville Railroad, with Julius Adams as chief engineer, retained John A. Roebling (who later designed the Brooklyn Bridge) to build a railroad suspension bridge across the Kentucky River for a line connecting Lexington and Danville, Kentucky west of the intersection of the Dix and Kentucky rivers. In 1855, the company ran out of money, having built only stone towers and anchorages.

hayes_inset The project was resumed by the Cincinnati Southern Railway in 1873 following a proposal by C. Shaler Smith for an innovative cantilever design, using Roebling's stone towers as anchors. The bridge was erected with a three-span continuous under-deck truss, and was opened in 1877. It was 275 feet tall and 1,125 feet long: the tallest bridge above a navigable waterway in North America and the tallest railroad bridge in the world until the early 20th century. Construction was completed using 3,654,280 pounds of iron at a total cost of $404,373.31. In 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attended the dedication.

After years of heavy railroad use, the bridge was rebuilt by Gustav Lindenthal in 1911. Lindenthal reinforced the foundations and rebuilt the bridge around the original structure. To keep railroad traffic flowing, the track deck was raised by 30 feet during construction and a temporary trestle was constructed. In 1929, an additional set of tracks was built to accommodate increased railroad traffic and the original limestone towers were removed.

Wikipedia

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High Bridge, Ky / May 2024 / RWH


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High Bridge, Ky / May 2024 / RWH

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1948 Official Guide map / collection

The bay window caboose on display at High Bridge Park has been painted and lettered to honor Southern Railway and successor Norfolk Southern Railway, but was originally built for the Chessie System for marking as Baltimore & Ohio #904055.

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See also our complete Southern Railway Bay Window Survivors scrapbook in Mainlines

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Links / Sources

This page was updated on 2024-05-27