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Singing Bridge

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Coordinates: 38°11′47″N 84°52′44″W / 38.1965°N 84.8788°W / 38.1965; -84.8788
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This article is about the bridge in the United States. For the "Singing Bridge" in Australia, see Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest Bridge.

Singing Bridge
Singing Bridge (2020)
Coordinates38°11′47″N 84°52′44″W / 38.1965°N 84.8788°W / 38.1965; -84.8788
Carries2 vehicle lanes & 2 pedestrian walkways
CrossesKentucky River
LocaleFrankfort, Kentucky
BeginsSt. Clair Street
EndsBridge Street
Characteristics
DesignPennsylvania truss
Total length409.1 feet (124.7 m)
Width24 feet (7.3 m)
Load limit3 tons
Clearance above20 feet (6.1 m)
History
Constructed byKing Bridge Company
Opened1893
Statistics
Daily traffic5,000 (2019)
Location
Map

The Singing Bridge (also known as the St. Clair Street bridge[1]) is a two-lane vehicle and pedestrian bridge in Frankfort, Kentucky that is so named because of the humming sound it makes when driven over. As of 2019, the bridge carries over 5,000 vehicles per day across the Kentucky River[2] along St. Clair Street to Bridge Street, joining Downtown Frankfort with South Frankfort. It is a contributing structure to the Frankfort Commercial Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

The bridge gets its name from the humming noise it makes as vehicles travel across its open-grate steel deck, which replaced a solid flooring in 1937.[3]

History

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The over-400 foot long bridge is a Pennsylvania truss bridge built in 1893 by King Bridge Company, and was rehabilitated in 1956 and in 2010.[4] The bridge originally carried U.S. Route 60 (US 60) until that highway was rerouted over the nearby War Mothers Memorial Bridge.

In 1894 and 1909, two African-American men were lynched at the Singing Bridge. In 2022, the city of Frankfort issued an official apology to the families of the two men, and erected a historic marker at the site.[5]

In 2019, the 125-year-old bridge's load rating was reduced from 9 tons (1988) to 3 tons,[2][6] then it was closed to vehicle traffic in late 2020 when an accident caused damage to a truss and rail. Repairs were started in March 2021 to repair the damage and to inspect for further damage caused when an unmoored floating marina's roof hit the bottom of the bridge on March 3, 2021, during high river levels.[7][8][9]

In 2024, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet closed the Singing Bridge to all traffic as a result of structural safety concerns after a routine inspection. It is unknown when it will reopen.[10]

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  • View from on the bridge
    View from on the bridge
  • View from Bridge Street
    View from Bridge Street
  • View from St. Clair Street
    View from St. Clair Street

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Geography | Frankfort, KY". www.frankfort.ky.gov.
  2. ^ a b "Singing Bridge's weight limit reduced". The State Journal. November 15, 2019.
  3. ^ "The Singing Bridge: Past, present, and my hope for the future | FRANK. Magazine". frankthemagazine.com. September 14, 2018.
  4. ^ "Singing Bridge (State Bridge) - HistoricBridges.org". historicbridges.org.
  5. ^ "Frankfort lynching marker tells story of 'racial terrorism' that took place there". WUKY. October 24, 2022.
  6. ^ "BridgeReports.com | US 60X over KENTUCKY RIVER, Franklin County, Kentucky". bridgereports.com.
  7. ^ "KYTC to start work on Singing Bridge next week". The State Journal. March 5, 2021.
  8. ^ Veno, Chanda (March 4, 2021). "KYTC: No definite origin for wayward marina". The State Journal.
  9. ^ "Runaway dock floating down Kentucky River crashes into Frankfort bridge (with videos)". WKYT. March 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "Immediate Closure of the 'Singing Bridge' in Downtown Frankfort Following Inspection". Franklin County, KY (.gov). August 30, 2024.
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