This was completed in 1897, and done to modernize the bridge, despite only being 25 years old, it had already been rendered obsolete with the increased weight of trains.

[4] In 1928, the Kentucky Highway Department made plans to purchase the vehicular and streetcar sections of the Bridge.

This transaction was met with resistance from the L&N Railroad since the tolls started to become profitable with an increase in automobile traffic, though on November 15, 1935, these parts of the bridge were sold off.

[4] In 1971, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) purchased the remainder of the L&N shares it did not already own, and the L&N became a subsidiary.

At this point, work began on demolishing the north approach and removing the train deck, this was all competed in 1987.

At this point, the city of Newport, Kentucky, and Southbank Partners, a regional economic development organization, used $4 million in state funds to restore the bridge.

Computer-generated images of the bridge were shown to participants in more than a dozen focus groups, all of whom picked the color purple as a top choice.

Citing lack of funds and low attendance, the Purple People Bridge Climb was discontinued on May 23, 2007.