NEWPORT, Ky. — In early September, the City of Newport announced it had officially taken ownership of the Purple People Bridge.
The city said in its announcement that "officials will focus on securing resources and partnerships to stabilize and enhance the bridge."
I met with Newport's Assistant City Manager Brian Steffen to learn more about what this means for the pedestrian-only pathway across the Ohio River.
Watch to learn Newport's plans for the Purple People Bridge:
"The city now has its full backing behind it, and it will protect it as a city-owned and run asset moving forward," Steffen said.
The city took full ownership following a unanimous vote by the Purple People Bridge Company Board of Directors.
I asked Steffen what the city's biggest priorities are for the bridge moving forward.
"The known repair that needs to be made on the Cincinnati-land side needs to be done," Steffen said. "The bridge is safe, the bridge is stabilized, it has some temporary shoring that's in place over there. We want that gone, there's some monthly cost in that and we don't see the need to carry that further. But, we'd like to get that repair done."
Steffen was referring to the damage that closed the bridge down for months in 2024.
I spoke with multiple residents traveling along the Purple People Bridge who said they hope to see a new paint job for the bridge. I asked the assistant city manager if that's in the near future.
"We're mainly worried about the structural integrity of the bridge and getting those immediate repairs made. We'll look at funding sources for the bridge paint," Steffen said. "Obviously, the paint is faded; it's been a long time since it has been painted. We believe it is going to be a several-million-dollar expense to get this painted."
Some pedestrians we met along the bridge gave me their recommendations to the city to improve the bridge moving forward.
"Sometimes you have people that are kind of reckless on the single pathway over here, with electric bikes and electric scooters," one person said.
In the city's announcement, officials said that community and regional input will help guide the long-term vision for the bridge.
