Taylor-Southgate Bridge looking to Newport
Taylor-Southgage Bridge
Taylor-Southgate Bridge looking to Newport
The Taylor-Southgate bridge opened in 1995 in the location of the old Central Bridge. It has four automobile lanes, an 850ft. central span, two approach spans of slightly different lengths, and two piers in the river. Pedestrian paths flank either side of the bridge, and the east walkway connects, via a staircase, with the U.S. Bank Arena (originally Riverfront Coliseum) plaza. Non-functional beams above each of the two river piers make the center and approach approach spans appear to function as a single continuous truss. The truss is much higher than it appears from a distance and has the effect of making the bridge look short and its long center crossing unspectacular. It also makes the asymmetry of the approaches less obvious, and many do not realize that the northern approach is quite a bit longer than the southern approach. The longer length of the northern approach avoided the placement of a pier in the park below.
When the bridge opened in 1995 it did not line up with north/south Cincinnati streets. In June 2000 as part of Fort Washington Way reconstruction, Broadway was re-routed under a rebuilt serious of expressway overpasses and now intersects Pete Rose Way directly opposite the bridge approach. Also, a six deck 1,200 space parking garage opened immediately east of the bridge's northern approach in summer 2000. This garage was the first built of many planned for the city's central riverfront redevelopment project.