When will the Purple People Bridge reopen? Here's latest update

Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer
The Purple People Bridge between Cincinnati and Newport closed Sunday after a passerby reported falling debris. On Tuesday, a sign on an unlocked gate on the Kentucky side said the bridge was closed for a private event.
The Purple People Bridge between Cincinnati and Newport closed Sunday after a passerby reported falling debris. On Tuesday, a sign on an unlocked gate on the Kentucky side said the bridge was closed for a private event.

The Purple People Bridge will partially reopen Friday, just shy of a week after closing because of falling debris.

People on foot and bikes can enter the bridge, closed to vehicles since 2001, from both sides, but travel only a short distance from the Cincinnati side before hitting a barrier, the bridge owner said in a statement Wednesday.

"We continue to ask for the public's patience while we work diligently with all parties involved to fully reopen the bridge as soon as possible," Newport Southbank Bridge Co. said via email.

The company closed the bridge on Sunday after a passerby reported a piece of sandstone broke off a bridge support on the Cincinnati side.

Following inspection by engineering firm WSP, the owner determined the bridge is safe to partially reopen at 9 a.m. Friday while under repair. "Events scheduled on the bridge (on the Newport end) will be allowed to proceed."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When will the Purple People Bridge reopen? Here's an update

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