NEWPORT, Ky. —

The city of Newport is working to take over control of the iconic Purple People Bridge.

The bridge, originally built in 1872 as the Newport & Cincinnati Bridge, currently operates as a pedestrian bridge, connecting the two cities. Advertisement

The bridge has been owned and operated by The Purple People Bridge Company since 2003.

Now, the city of Newport is working to take over control of the privately owned pedestrian bridge.

When the bridge faced demolition in 2001, the railroad that owned the tracks didn't want to hand it over to a city, so the nonprofit The Purple People Bridge Company was born.

"The bridge company was actually founded in 2005 by Southbank Partners and the City of Newport as a way to help save the bridge from being demolished by the transportation

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