Visitors who want to get an up-close-and-personal look of The Roebling Murals at the Covington Waterfront will be unable to do so for the time being, because of safety concerns.
The sidewalk that runs along the Ohio River side of the floodwall is part of the active construction site for Riverfront Commons, the $6.54 million project that will drastically energize public use of the riverfront.
The work, which is actually Phase II of the larger regional Riverfront Commons, will create a 1,350-seat amphitheater at the river’s edge, along with two concrete paths totaling over half a mile, a cobblestone pier for paddlers and anglers, upgraded overlooks, and a redesigned cul-de-sac at the foot of Greenup Street.
For obvious reasons, fences have blocked the four access points to the murals since construction started this summer, said Covington City Manager David Johnston.
“With the site filled with construction vehicles and workers and dangerous equipment, we need to protect both visitors and the workers, as well as limit the interference with the construction,” Johnston said. “We appreciate people’s patience because the new riverfront will be stunning.”
The Roebling Murals at the Covington Waterfront are a series of 18 panels depicting the history of Covington from 800 BC to the present day, painted on the floodwall along the Ohio River and visible from the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. The murals were painted by Louisiana-based artist Robert Dafford, working with a team of assistants.
The City is putting out this reminder at the request of its contractor, Prus Construction, which said the site is getting inundated with trespassers and people asking to come onto the construction site.
The Riverfront Commons project is scheduled to be finished in late fall 2020.
City of Covington
