Shelby Weigel

Looking for something fun to do over summer break? With the new Big Four Bridge, you can have fun and exercise at the same time. Now there is a walking bridge in downtown Louisville. It connects Kentucky to Indiana over the Ohio River. The ramp for Kentucky was opened on Feb. 7, 2013. Indiana’s ramp is supposed to open in the summer of 2014.

Kentucky’s ramp is ¼ mile and the bridge is ½ mile long. If Indiana also puts in a ¼ mile ramp, the walking distance from one state to the other would be one mile

The original bridge was opened in 1895 and used as a railroad until 1969. In 2011, the Kentucky and Indiana Governors announced that both states would give $22 million to finish the Big Four Bridge project. Indiana said they would give $10 million and Kentucky pledged up to $12 million.

On the bridge you can’t have pets, skateboards, or roller skates. Also, motorized vehicles such as scooters, mopeds, motorcycles, cars, and trucks are prohibited from use on the bridge.

You are allowed to have personal mobility scooters, motorized wheelchairs, service animals, and bikes of all kinds. You should also bring a hat, a water bottle, sunscreen, good walking shoes, music and a friend.