High BridgeIn 1876, construction began on the first cantilever bridge built on the American continent. Preliminary work had already been completed for the 1,125 foot long High Bridge between Jessamine and Mercer counties to carry the Cincinnati Southern Railroad 275 feet high over a deep gorge of the Kentucky River. Finished on 20 Feb 1877, it was then the highest railroad bridge in the U.S. The design, by bridge engineer Charles Shaler Smith, used Whipple double-interesection trusses built outwardly from the cliffs. The stone foundations for the piers were built on bedrock. Great care in design and workmanship included inspections from the mill and throughout the erection, marking the beginning of modern scientific bridge building.« |
