Big Four Bridge

Big Four Bridge
The bridge in 2024
Coordinates38°15′56″N 85°44′20″W / 38.26556°N 85.73889°W / 38.26556; -85.73889
CarriesPedestrians and cyclists
CrossesOhio River
LocaleLouisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States
Websiteourwaterfront.org/feature/big-four-bridge/
Characteristics
Total length2,525 ft (770 m)
Longest span547 ft (167 m)
Clearance above53 ft (16 m)
History
Construction cost$3.5 million
Opened1895
ClosedEnd of railroad use 1968
Location

The Big Four Bridge is a six-span truss bridge that crosses the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was completed in 1895 and rebuilt in 1929. It was taken out of rail service in 1968, and the original approaches that carried rail traffic onto the main spans were first removed in 1974–1975, earning the Big Four Bridge the nickname "Bridge That Goes Nowhere". It was and converted to bicycle and pedestrian use in 2013. The largest single span is 547 feet (167 m); the entire bridge spans 2,525 feet (770 m). It took its name from the defunct Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, which was nicknamed the "Big Four Railroad".