Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn announced today that the southbound lanes of Interstate 471 approaching the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge will reopen Sunday evening, exactly 100 days after the roadway was severely damaged by fire.
“Reopening southbound access to this bridge in just over three months is a tremendous accomplishment," said DeWine. "The closure of these lanes wasn't only an inconvenience, but also a disruption to the supply chain. I applaud our ODOT team and their partners for working hard to finish the project ahead of schedule."
ODOT will announce an exact reopening time on social media about an hour before the final barricades are removed.
Interstate 471 was closed in the southbound direction at the Ohio River following a fire under the Ohio approach to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, which connects Cincinnati, Ohio and Newport, Kentucky.
At 3:20 a.m., Nov. 1, the Cincinnati Fire Department was called to a fire on Pete Rose Way under the Ohio approach span to the bridge. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a large outdoor fire at a playground in Sawyer Point Park directly under the approach span. At the height of the fire, smoke and flames were seen billowing around and above I-471, according to a statement from ODOT.
ODOT, Great Lakes Construction, more than two dozen sub-contractors, and other partners worked together to design the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge, fabricate the needed materials, and manage traffic around the closure during the work.
Between now and Sunday, crews will put finishing touches on the bridge, including grinding and grooving the deck, final welding below the expansion joint seal, and pavement striping.
