High Bridge is a currently used railroad bridge linking the steep palisades

Kentucky River Palisades

The Kentucky River Palisades are a series of steep, scenic gorges and limestone outcroppings that stretch for approximately 100 mi , along the Kentucky River in central Kentucky in the United States....

 on either side of the Kentucky River

Kentucky River

The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, long, in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The river and its tributaries drain much of the central region of the state, with its upper course passing through the coal-mining regions of the Cumberland Mountains, and its lower course passing through the...

 between Jessamine County, Kentucky

Jessamine County, Kentucky

Jessamine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is within the Inner Blue Grass region, which was the center of farming and blooded stock raising, including thoroughbred horses. It was formed in 1799. The population was 48,586 in the 2010 Census...

 and Mercer County, Kentucky

Mercer County, Kentucky

Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 20,817. Its county seat is Harrodsburg. The county is named for General Hugh Mercer...

. Constructed in 1876, it is a three-span continuous under-deck truss used by Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern Railway

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

 to carry trains between Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...

 and Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Harrodsburg is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,014 at the 2000 census. It is the oldest city in Kentucky.-History:...

. It is a National Civil Engineering Landmark.

History

A bridge was begun in the 1850s for the Lexington and Danville Railroad. Designed by John A. Roebling

John A. Roebling

John Augustus Roebling was a German-born American civil engineer. He is famous for his wire rope suspension bridge designs, in particular, the design of the Brooklyn Bridge.-Early life:...

 as a suspension bridge supported by stone towers, it was not completed. The towers for the suspension cables were built and portions remained until 1929.

The bridge was redesigned of cantilever design and opened in 1877 on the Cincinnati Southern Railway. It was 275 feet (83.8 m) tall and 1125 feet (342.9 m) long: the tallest bridge above a navigable waterway in North America and the tallest railroad bridge in the world until the early 20th century. It was designed by Charles Shaler Smith and was the first cantilever bridge

Cantilever bridge

A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. In 1879 President Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...

 and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...

 attended the dedication.

The current bridge, designed by Gustav Lindenthal

Gustav Lindenthal

Gustav Lindenthal was a civil engineer who designed the Hell Gate Bridge among other bridges.Lindenthal's work was greatly affected by his pursuit for perfection and his love of art. His structures not only serve the purpose they were designed for, but are aesthetically pleasing to the public eye...

, was built around the existing structure in 1911 and expanded to two tracks in 1929.

In 2005 the state and county jointly opened a park near the bridge. It included a restored open air dance pavilion, first used in the 19th century, as well as a new playground, picnic area, and viewing platform that overlooks the bridge from the edge of the palisades.