Overview:
• The Purple People Bridge in Cincinnati is closed for inspection after sandstone fell from a pier.
• An engineering firm is assessing the scope and cost of repairs.
• The bridge company is working to reopen it while seeking funding to keep it open to the public for free.
By: Chloe Franklin , Taylor Weiter
CINCINNATI — The Purple People Bridge is closed after sandstone fell from a pier on the Cincinnati side of the bridge Sunday afternoon.
An official said someone called 911 after they “heard or saw a piece of the bridge pier — either concrete or sandstone — fall.” No one was injured and the bridge was closed “out of an abundance of caution.”
The Purple People Bridge Company said in a statement that an engineering firm was inspecting the bridge Monday to determine the scope and cost of repairs. The firm inspecting the bridge is the same firm that inspected it in 2021, when a stone fell from an adjacent pier.
“We are keenly aware that the bridge is especially popular this time of year with people using it for daily transportation to and from work, events, walking, running and biking,” the company said. “We are working diligently to open the bridge as soon as possible, and safety is our top priority.”
There is a chance the bridge could be partially reopened amid repairs, the company said.
The president of the bridge said funding from cities or the community is needed to keep the bridge open to the public for free.
Reposted with permission from WCPO 9 Cincinnati.