Construction of the Great Stone Viaduct began in 1870 at Union Street as an Ohio approach to the railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River. It was completed to Rose Hill in April 1871, and the entire bridge span connecting Ohio to West Virginia, of which the viaduct is a part, opened to rail traffic on June 21, 1871. Jointly constructed by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and the Central Ohio Railroad, its sandstone piers rise in varying heights 10 to 20 feet above the streets, supporting 43 stone arches with 37 ring stones, 18 on each side of a keystone, intended to symbolize a united Union of 37 states. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, this Ohio River crossing became known as the "Great Shortline to the West."