Big Four Bridge

The Big Four Bridge is a former railroad bridge over the Ohio River that now serves as a pedestrian and bicycle crossing between Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana. The Kentucky-side ramp begins at Waterfront Park on River Road, and the Indiana-side ramp is in Jeffersonville. The bridge is open to walkers and cyclists 24 hours a day, and it is free. Visitors can walk the full span to Indiana and back, or simply climb the spiral ramp to take in the view. The deck is wide and level, with benches and railings, and the views take in the Louisville skyline, the river traffic and the Waterfront Park lawns below. A LED light show runs nightly from dusk to 1:00 AM, when the bridge is lit in changing colors, and this is the time most visitors choose to see it. Dusk is also the best time for photographs, with the skyline behind the lit steel truss. A round trip across the bridge usually takes 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on pace and stops. The bridge can be windy and cold in winter, and sun exposure is high on summer afternoons, so clothing and water matter. Dogs are not allowed on the bridge except service dogs. The bridge is busiest on warm evenings and weekends and during events at Waterfront Park, when the ramps fill with walkers. Early morning and weekday visits are calmer. Because the bridge connects the two states, visitors can also continue on foot to Jeffersonville for food and shops. The ramp is a gentle slope, which suits families with strollers and casual cyclists. Cyclists should yield to walkers and keep speeds low, since the deck is shared.