John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge by Stephen-KarenConn
When the 1,057-foot-long Cincinnati and Covington Suspension Bridge opened to traffic on December 1, 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was completed not long after the close of the Civil War, connecting Cincinnati with Covington, Ohio with Kentucky, and the North with the South.The designer and builder of the bridge, John A. Roebling, used the Cincinnati bridge as his prototype when he later built the longer and more famous Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883 in New York City. The Cincinnati and Covington Bridge was renamed for its designer in 1984.
Several newer and more modern bridges now span the Ohio River in and around Cincinnati, and the Roebling Bridge carries much less traffic than the others. That's good, because I consider a walk across the old Suspension Bridge a must to fully experience Cincinnati. A wide walkway goes along either side of the bridge and on a recent Saturday I walked across on one side and back on the other. There were a few folk who had put their lawn chairs up near the center of the walkway and were enjoying an afternoon in the sun while they watched the river traffic below.
