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==History==
==History==
[[Image:Old Big 4 Bridge.jpg|thumb|300px|Photo of ''Big Four Bridge in Baird's History of Clark County, Indiana'', published in 1909]]
[[Image:Old Big 4 Bridge.jpg|thumb|300px|Photo of ''Big Four Bridge in Baird's History of Clark County, Indiana'', published in 1909]]
The site of the Big Four Bridge in Jeffersonville was the site of Camp Finney, a fort that existed prior to 1800. The Big Four Bridge was first conceived in Jeffersonville in 1885 by various city interests. The Louisville and Jeffersonville Bridge Company was formed in 1887 to construct the Big Four Bridge, after a charter by the state of [[Indiana]]. Kentucky also chartered the company in 1888. The riverboat industry, a big economic factor in Jeffersonville, had requested that the bridge be built further upstream from the [[Falls of the Ohio]], but the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] approved the building site, even after the vocal protestations. Construction began on [[October 10]] [[1888]]. The Big Four Bridge would be the only Louisville bridge with serious accidents during its building; thirty-seven individuals died during its construction. The first twelve died while working on a pier foundation when a caisson that was supposed to hold back the river water flooded, causing the workers to die due to drowning. Another four men died a few months after that when a wooden beam broke while working on a different pier caisson.<ref name="kleber">Kleber, John E. ''Encyclopedia of Louisville''. (University Press of Kentucky). pg.89.</ref>
The site of the Big Four Bridge in Jeffersonville was the site of Camp Finney, a fort that existed prior to 1800. The Big Four Bridge was first conceived in Jeffersonville in 1885 by various city interests. The Louisville and Jeffersonville Bridge Company was formed in 1887 to construct the Big Four Bridge, after a charter by the state of [[Indiana]]. Kentucky also chartered the company in 1888. The riverboat industry, a big economic factor in Jeffersonville, had requested that the bridge be built further upstream from the [[Falls of the Ohio]], but the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] approved the building site, even after the vocal protestations. Construction began on [[October 10]] [[1888]]. The Big Four Bridge would be the only Louisville bridge with serious accidents during its building; thirty-seven individuals died during its construction. The first twelve died while working on a pier foundation when a caisson that was supposed to hold back the river water flooded, drowning the workers. Another four men died a few months after that when a wooden beam broke while working on a different pier caisson.<ref name="kleber">Kleber, John E. ''Encyclopedia of Louisville''. (University Press of Kentucky). pg.89.</ref>


The Big Four Bridge had one of the biggest bridge disasters in the [[United States]], occurring on [[December 15]] [[1893]] when a construction crane was dislodged by a severe wind. This caused the [[falsework]] support of a truss to be damaged, and the truss &ndash; with forty-one workers on it &ndash; fell into the Ohio River. Twenty of the workers survived, but twenty-one died. The accident almost cost more lives, as a ferry crossing the Ohio River just barely missed being hit by the truss. Hours later, a span next to the damaged span also fell into the river, but was abandoned at the time, causing no injuries as a result. As a result, falsework was longitudely reinforced to prevent further occurrences, and also to prevent strong winds from causing similar damage by using special bracing on the bottom frame of the truss. Also, a new rule was enforced: "never trust a bolted joint any longer than is necessary to put a riveted one in place".<ref name="kleber"/>
The Big Four Bridge had one of the biggest bridge disasters in the [[United States]], occurring on [[December 15]] [[1893]] when a construction crane was dislodged by a severe wind. This caused the [[falsework]] support of a truss to be damaged, and the truss &ndash; with forty-one workers on it &ndash; fell into the Ohio River. Twenty of the workers survived, but twenty-one died. The accident almost cost more lives, as a ferry crossing the Ohio River just barely missed being hit by the truss. Hours later, a span next to the damaged span also fell into the river, but was abandoned at the time, causing no injuries as a result. As a result, falsework was longitudely reinforced to prevent further occurrences, and also to prevent strong winds from causing similar damage by using special bracing on the bottom frame of the truss. Also, a new rule was enforced: "never trust a bolted joint any longer than is necessary to put a riveted one in place".<ref name="kleber"/>

Revision as of 04:22, 14 May 2008

Big Four Bridge
File:Big4Bridge.JPG
The Big Four Bridge as seen from Indiana under the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge
Coordinates38°15′56″N 85°44′20″W / 38.2656°N 85.7389°W / 38.2656; -85.7389
CrossesOhio River
LocaleLouisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana
Characteristics
Total length2,545 feet (776 m)
Longest span547 feet (167 m)
Clearance above53 feet (16 m)
History
Opened1895
Closed1969
Location
Map

The Big Four Bridge is an abandoned six-span railroad truss bridge that crosses the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was completed in 1895, and updated in 1929. It has its largest span at 547 feet (167 m), for 2,545 feet in total. It gets its name from the defunct Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, which was nicknamed the "Big Four Railroad". Current plans for the Big Four Bridge include making it a pedestrian walkway, making it only the second one in the Louisville area for pedestrians to cross the Ohio River (the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge is currently the only one crossing the Ohio River between Louisville and its Indiana suburbs of New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville). Access to the Big Four Bridge is currently limited, as the access ways onto the bridge for the general public were removed in 1969, earning the Big Four Bridge the nickname "Bridge That Goes Nowhere".

Description

The Big Four Bridge is a six-span bridge, totaling 2,545 feet long, with a clearance of 53 feet. The northernmost span is a riveted, eight-panel Parker through truss. The next three spans are 547 feet long, and are riveted, sixteen-panel Pennsylvania through trusses. The two southern spans are riveted, 10-panel Parker through trusses.[1]

History

Photo of Big Four Bridge in Baird's History of Clark County, Indiana, published in 1909

The site of the Big Four Bridge in Jeffersonville was the site of Camp Finney, a fort that existed prior to 1800. The Big Four Bridge was first conceived in Jeffersonville in 1885 by various city interests. The Louisville and Jeffersonville Bridge Company was formed in 1887 to construct the Big Four Bridge, after a charter by the state of Indiana. Kentucky also chartered the company in 1888. The riverboat industry, a big economic factor in Jeffersonville, had requested that the bridge be built further upstream from the Falls of the Ohio, but the United States Army Corps of Engineers approved the building site, even after the vocal protestations. Construction began on October 10 1888. The Big Four Bridge would be the only Louisville bridge with serious accidents during its building; thirty-seven individuals died during its construction. The first twelve died while working on a pier foundation when a caisson that was supposed to hold back the river water flooded, drowning the workers. Another four men died a few months after that when a wooden beam broke while working on a different pier caisson.[2]

The Big Four Bridge had one of the biggest bridge disasters in the United States, occurring on December 15 1893 when a construction crane was dislodged by a severe wind. This caused the falsework support of a truss to be damaged, and the truss – with forty-one workers on it – fell into the Ohio River. Twenty of the workers survived, but twenty-one died. The accident almost cost more lives, as a ferry crossing the Ohio River just barely missed being hit by the truss. Hours later, a span next to the damaged span also fell into the river, but was abandoned at the time, causing no injuries as a result. As a result, falsework was longitudely reinforced to prevent further occurrences, and also to prevent strong winds from causing similar damage by using special bracing on the bottom frame of the truss. Also, a new rule was enforced: "never trust a bolted joint any longer than is necessary to put a riveted one in place".[2]

Some of the stones used to build the Big Four Bridge's piers were from where Rose Island Amusement Park would be built. They were part of an ancient stone wall which, according to local legend, was built by legendary Welsh prince Madoc.[3]

The Belle of Louisville crossing under the Bridge in the 2008 Great Steamboat Race

The Big Four Bridge was finally completed in September 1895. Because of the location of the bridge and the growth of the Kennedy Interchange, the interchange had to avoid the colums that were on the approach to the bridge. This caused the interchange to have several two-lane ramps rather than a single stretch of highway, and helped earn the nickname used today of Spaghetti Junction.[4] Due to the various accidents, the Louisville and Jeffersonville Bridge Company was financially strapped after building the bridge. They soon sold it to the Indianapolis-based Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad, later in 1895. This gave the railway its first entry into the Louisville market, although the railroad would have likely used the bridge even if they had not bought it, as they desired access to Louisville.[2]

One effect of the opening of the Big Four Bridge was to increase the transportation of freight by rail. That significantly decreased the number of packet boats that at one time crossed the Ohio River by the dozens.[5]

On February 19 1904, a Baltimore and Ohio train accidentally crossed the Big Four Bridge, due to the engineer and foreman falling asleep and going the wrong way at Otisco, Indiana. The fireman kept shoveling coal and did not pay attention. It was the conductor that finally noticed the error midway across the Big Four Bridge. The wayward train had to back up all the way back to Otisco.[6]

On September 12 1905, the first electric car, locally called an interurban, crossed the Big Four Bridge. In January 1918, two interurbans collided on the Big Four Bridge, killing three and injuring twenty aboard.[7] [8] [9]

Due to the increasing weight of the rail traffic, contracts were finalized in June 1928 to build a bigger Big Four Bridge, which opened on June 25 1929. The new Big Four Bridge was built on the piers of the old bridge, a "novel building process", as it sped up the time necessary to build the new bridge; the old one served to reinforce the new one as it was being built. The old piers would still be used, but the falsework was entirely removed. During construction, the Big Four Bridge's usual rail traffic was routed over the Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Bridge. The interurbans that used the Big Four Bridge would instead disembark at Sellersburg, Indiana and have the passengers board buses into Louisville for the duration of the Big Four's reconstruction.[2]

Recent use

1975 picture of bridge

The Big Four Bridge fell into disuse after the Big Four Railroad's parent company, the New York Central Railroad, was merged into the Penn Central in 1968. The Big Four Bridge's former traffic was then routed over Louisville's Fourteenth Street Bridge. By 1969 both approach spans had been removed and sold for scrap. As a result, the Big Four Bridge became the first Louisville bridge to fall out of use, and gained the nickname "Bridge That Goes Nowhere".[2] [8]

During the 1970s and 1980s, local radio station WLRS-102 FM lit up the Big Four Bridge as part of their "Bridge the Gap" Christmas promotion, which was used as a fund raiser for needy local families. Some of the lights spelled out "LRS 102". After unsuccessful litigation to stop the project, the Big Four Bridge is (2006) in the process of being converted into a pedestrian and bicycle bridge as part of Louisville Waterfront Park and the ongoing revitalization of the Louisville riverfront. This conversion has been proposed and planned since the 1990s; funding is unclear as of 2007, although it may be funded as a part of the Ohio River Bridges Project. The Indiana Department of Transportation has pledged $1 million for the project to build a ramp to the Big Four Bridge on the Indiana side, on Riverside Drive, and Jeffersonville has pledged $200,000; early estimates were that the Indiana ramp would cost $2.8 million, but is likely to increase. The Kentucky ramp is expected to cost $4 million, but the ramp foundation is already done. Fixing the Big Four Bridge is expected to cost $3 million and take 18 months, but funds are still dependent on the federal budget. The only other facility still standing that was owned by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway is the Spring Street Freight House. However, the new mayor of Jeffersonville, Tom Galligan, is calling for a redesign of the entrance ramp to the bridge on the Indiana side, stressing that the proposed ramp would be unattractive and that the building of the column on a flood plain would probably not be possible. Galligan pointed out that neither the United States Coast Guard or the Army Corps of Engineers have approved of the planned rampway. Galligan said he would rather have a ramp that reached over the floodwall and ended on Mulberry Street, causing a less severe incline on and off the bridge. Previous plans to access the Big Four Bridge included building an elevator.[10] [11] [12]

The plans for bicycling include a suspension ramp that would allow bicyclists to leave the Big Four Bridge without dismounting their bikes. Due to the length of time any new downtown bridge would take to be built, and needing an alternative for bikers and pedestrians to get across the Ohio River when the George Rogers Clark Bridge is closed, which happens yearly during Thunder Over Louisville, bicyclists prefer the idea of converting the Big Four rather than relying on a new downtown bridge or the Clark Bridge.[13]

During Thunder Over Louisville, the Big Four Bridge sets the limit on how close private boats can get to the fireworks, which are centered two bridges away on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge.

Fires

Closeup of May 7, 2008 fire

On Wednesday, May 7 2008, the Big Four Bridge caught fire a quarter-mile north of the Louisville end shortly after noon, seventy to eighty feet above the Ohio River.[14] The fire is suspected to have started from an electrical problem. The Big Four Bridge also caught fire once before in 1987 from Christmas lights that were posted on it to promote a toy drive.[14] In the 1987 fire, both the Jeffersonville and Louisville Fire Departments fought six to eight hours to put out the blaze. Prior to those two fires there were a couple in the 1970s.[15]

The 2008 fire had more troubles due to the age and condition of the bridge; the wood tresses on the bridge were unsafe for firefighters to scale, due to the fire on the bridge ten years before. Louisville Fire & Rescue Chief Greg Frederick decided that firefighters were not to be sent onto the bridge to put out the 2008 fire. A boat from the Harrods Creek Fire Department was used to put out the fire, as Louisville's fire boat did not have a hose which could reach the blaze upon the bridge; a new fire boat for Louisville is planned, but according to Frederick has not been a priority due to the fact that no other river bridges in Louisville have combustible items like wood in their structure. It took two and a half hours to control the fire. Navigation lights used for the heavy barge traffic were being changed at the time of the report, said Louisville's Waterfront Development's spokesman Mike Kimmel.[16]

The Coast Guard shut down river traffic for about a mile around the bridge because debris was falling off the aging bridge, and it is keeping watercraft away.

An official determination on the cause of the fire has not been decided, and will not occur until June 2008. A structural engineer will have to determine if the Big Four Bridge is still structurally sound enough to be used for the pedestrian walkway. The workers who were fixing the navigation lights were delayed in returning to the bridge due to the rain that hit the Louisville area hours after the fire, and continued into the next day. However, as the 2008 fire did not last as long as the previous fires, problems are not anticipated.[17] [18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bridgehunter - Big Four Railroad Bridge - Facts
  2. ^ a b c d e Kleber, John E. Encyclopedia of Louisville. (University Press of Kentucky). pg.89.
  3. ^ Traxel, William L. Footprints of the Welsh Indians and Sailors of the Past. (Algora Publishing, 2004). pg.96
  4. ^ Chip Nold, Julie Segal, James Nold, Bob Bahr The Insiders' Guide to Louisville, Ky & Southern Indiana (Globe Pequot) Page 30
  5. ^ Schrage, Robert. Along the Ohio River:Cincinnati to Louisville (Arcadia Publishing) p.52
  6. ^ ASLEEP AT THE THROTTLE.; Train Takes Wrong Route While Engineer Naps for an Hour. The New York Times, February 20, 1904
  7. ^ Gerald O. Haffner (1985), An Informal History of Clark County, Indiana, Whipporwill Publications, p. 111
  8. ^ a b Heim, Michael. Exploring Indiana Highways: Trip Trivia pg.141
  9. ^ Sunny Side of Louisville - Landmarks
  10. ^ Shafer, Sheldon (2007-03-05). "Bridges money may be shifted". Courier-Journal.
  11. ^ Jeffersonville officials want redesigns for Big Four project by David Mann The Evening News February 27 2008
  12. ^ Workers will examine Big Four next month; not anticipating structural damage after fire (Jeffersonville) Evening News May 13, 2008
  13. ^ Kentucky Cycling List Big Four Bridge Letter by Jonathan Villines Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator Louisville Metro Government
  14. ^ a b Boat used to battle Big Four blaze By Jessie Halladay Courier Journal May 7 2008
  15. ^ Big Four Bridge fire’s cause, damage not yet determined by David Mann The Evening News May 8 2008
  16. ^ Crew Extinguish Big Four Blaze WLKY-TV May 7 2008
  17. ^ Big Four Bridge check a month off Courier-Journal May 8 2008
  18. ^ Workers will examine Big Four next month; not anticipating structural damage after fire (Jeffersonville) Evening News May 13, 2008
  • David Plowden, Bridges: The Spans of North America (New York 1974)
  • J. H. Hunley, "Bridge of Unusual Design Replaces Crossing of Big Four at Louisville", Engineering News-Record, Sept. 5, 1929
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