Reported by: Jenell Walton
Photographed by: 9News
Web produced by: Neil Relyea
Residents on both sides of the Ohio River say they're fed up with the often neglected railroad bridges.
Some say it's bringing down their property values and it's time to do something about it.
Many railroad bridges have not been painted in decades.
Some residents in Cincinnati and Covington say the neglect has gone on too long.
You've probably driven under a railroad bridge without paying much attention to it.
Neighbors in Camp Washington have been eyeing the "eyesore" for months.
"We have asked the CSX railroad to maybe paint the bridge a little bit, maybe make it a little nicer and so far we haven't gotten a good response," explained Joe Gorman, a community organizer for Camp Washington.
Gorman says the bridge is the first thing people see when they enter Camp Washington from Spring Grove and Ralston avenues.
They'd like to see it cleaned up.
Residents say CSX is fine with a new paint job, but not at the company's expense.
"'Keep Cincinnati Beautiful' and the Camp Washington Business Association got letters from CSX that said basically, if we got our volunteers and if we provide the paint, we could paint the bridge ourselves," said Gorman.
Residents in Covington have taken matters into their own hands at the base of one railroad bridge.
"Trying to pick up paper, mow the grass and help put the flowers and plants in," explained Covington resident, Urvin Moore.
There is a garden area just below the tracks at East 15th Street and Maryland Avenue in Covington, but residents say the railroad company had nothing to do with it.
They put it in themselves, with their own money.
"We've have plenty of people that want to invest money here and improve the neighborhood," said Leonard Soard, of Covington. "The only one's that's not putting any money in the neighborhood is the railroad."
"They haven't bothered trying to paint it. They don't cut the weed," Soard said.
Covington Mayor Butch Callery says CSX did pay a $5,000 code enforcement fine – twice.
However, when the company was fined a third time, Callery says it sued the city – stating the bridges are not a danger to the public and therefore they shouldn't be fined.
A CSX spokesman says the company realizes the bridges may need a paint job, but it can't afford to repaint all 11,000 or so bridges that it owns.
The company's focus is to make sure the bridges are structurally safe.
