Henderson Bridge, Railway bridge in Henderson, Kentucky, US
Henderson Bridge is a single-track steel truss railway bridge over the Ohio River, linking Henderson, Kentucky, with Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Its main channel span is 648 feet (198 m) long, and with its approaches the crossing measures 12,123 feet (3,695 m). The steel work was built by the American Bridge Company and the bridge opened on 31 December 1932.
An earlier crossing built in 1885 served the area until increased rail traffic made it insufficient for the region's needs. A new structure replaced it to handle the growing demand for freight transportation across the river.
The bridge construction marked a transformation in regional transportation, ending the reliance on river ferries for railroad crossings in this section of Indiana.
The crossing is operated by CSX Transportation and is reserved primarily for rail traffic. Visitors can view the structure from various vantage points along the riverbanks, though direct access to the bridge itself is not available.
The 1932 span was designed by L&N bridge engineer J. M. Salmon with a 204-metre central truss, among the three longest simple truss spans between two supports on US railway bridges; only the 1917 Metropolis Bridge, at 220 metres, is longer. Chief engineer W. H. Courtenay had worked on the first bridge 47 years earlier.
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