Purple People Bridge back in business with Thursday reopening

The Purple People Bridge has reopened, just in time for Labor Day weekend.

The bridge owner released a statement just after 6 p.m. on Thursday that the bridge was open in full at both the Cincinnati and Newport ends.

"The Purple People Bridge has passed inspection and has reopened this evening," the statement said. "The Purple People Bridge Co. appreciates the public’s patience and understanding while the bridge has been closed."

The bridge had been closed to through traffic since May 19, after a piece of sandstone broke off a pier near the structure's Cincinnati end. The Newport side remained open but did not allow for passage north.

The bridge lost private bookings – and the dollars they generate – because of that.

"Several were canceled early on, just given the perception that the bridge was unsafe," Will Weber, president of the Purple People Bridge Co., said earlier this week. "We're missing some substantial revenue that we would have had."

Shoring tower will allow for opening

On Tuesday, the bridge took delivery of a shoring tower – a piece of equipment akin to a commercial-grade car jack –to support a bridge truss. Engineers inspected the support system Wednesday to clear it for a Thursday reopening.

The shoring tower will stay in place until repairs to the damaged pier are complete.

Weber has been on the hunt for funding for the work since May.

On July 31, the city of Newport Board of Commissioners OK'd a $62,500 contribution.

"The Purple People Bridge is an important asset for the entire region," Newport City Manager Tom Fromme said in a news release. "The city is taking the lead on funding the repairs in the true spirit of regionalism."

The Northern Kentucky Port Authority has committed the same amount, which allowed the bridge to bring in the shoring tower.

Repairing the pier itself will run another $125,000 to $200,000, funds Weber hopes he can get from community foundations and other to-be-named sources.

Purple People Bridge Co., as a nonprofit itself, does not "have the funds to fix the issues on this bridge," he said.

The bridge will be open through 8 a.m. Sunday, when it will close for an event. Boom on the Bridge, the ninth annual fundraiser for the Purple People Bridge, will run 6 to 11 p.m. Individual tickets at $160 cover food, drink and parking, with tables of 12 going for $1,500. The bridge will reopen to the public at 2 a.m. Monday.

WEBN-FM's 48th annual Riverfest is also Sunday, starting at noon and culminating with fireworks on both sides of the Ohio River at 9 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Purple People Bridge back in business with Thursday reopening