▁C & O ▁paid ▁around ▁$ 9 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁($ ▁today ) ▁to ▁the ▁Commonwealth , ▁including ▁both ▁the ▁purchase ▁price ▁and ▁previous ▁fe es ▁for ▁use , ▁which ▁was ▁significantly ▁less ▁than ▁the ▁Commonwealth ' s ▁exp end iture ▁of ▁$ 1 , 6 9 4 , 8 7 0 . 8 5 ▁($ ▁today ) ▁in ▁building ▁the ▁line . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Cov ington ▁and ▁Ohio ▁line ▁began ▁from ▁Hun ting ton , ▁West ▁Virginia ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁end ▁and ▁Cov ington ▁on ▁the ▁eastern ▁end , ▁and ▁progress ed ▁towards ▁the ▁middle . ▁ ▁By ▁July ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁west ward ▁had ▁reached ▁White ▁Sul ph ur ▁Spr ings , ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁three ▁temporary ▁tracks ▁around ▁two ▁un fin ished ▁t unn els ▁and ▁an ▁emb ank ment , ▁the ▁entire ▁line ▁of ▁ ▁from ▁Richmond ▁to ▁White ▁Sul ph ur ▁Spr ings ▁could ▁be ▁tra ve led . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁a ▁locomot ive ▁named ▁the ▁Green b rier ▁was ▁flo ated ▁down ▁the ▁Ohio ▁River ▁to ▁aid ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁line ▁from ▁the ▁western ▁side . ▁ ▁The ▁final ▁sp ike ▁ceremony ▁for ▁the ▁ ▁long ▁line ▁from ▁Richmond ▁to ▁the ▁Ohio ▁River ▁was ▁held ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁at ▁Haw k ' s ▁N est ▁rail road ▁bridge ▁in ▁the