CINCINNATI — The southbound lanes of I-471, closed since a fire severely damaged the Big Mac Bridge, will reopen Sunday evening, according to an announcement from Governor Mike DeWine and ODOT.
The southbound side of the Big Mac Bridge, or Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, has been closed since the morning of November 1, when the 1,000 Hands Playground beneath the bridge caught fire, causing serious damage.
The re-opening date is weeks ahead of schedule; Ohio Department of Transportation officials previously estimated the highway's southbound lanes would not be ready to open until March.
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DeWine's announcement said the re-opening date is exactly 100 days after the fire that warped the steel beams of the bridge, causing its closure.
"Reopening southbound access to this bridge in just over three months is a tremendous accomplishment," said DeWine in a press release. "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."
At the end of January, crews began pouring concrete to form the deck on the southbound side of the bridge.
There's still some work to finish up before the bridge can fully re-open, according to ODOT.
Between Friday and Sunday, ODOT officials said crews will put the finishing touches on the bridge, which includes grinding and grooving the newly-cured concrete deck and some final welding below the expansion joint seal. Finally, crews will add pavement striping before re-opening the southbound lanes.
"Emergency projects require a lot of very quick action and around-the-clock work," said ODOT Director Pamela Boratyn in a press release. "I am extremely proud of the efforts put in to getting this bridge and highway fully reopened."
Officials have not said when exactly Sunday evening drivers will be able to take I-471 from Cincinnati into Northern Kentucky; according to the press release, ODOT will announce the exact time on social media one hour before barriers are removed.
The bridge was severely damaged after the 1,000 Hands Playground, located beneath the bridge, caught fire and burned for hours in a blaze that was large and hot enough to warp some of the steel beams supporting the bridge.
Four people have been arrested and charged for their involvement in the fire that completely destroyed the playground and seriously damaged the bridge.
Zachary Stumpf and Terry Stiles were each indicted by a grand jury on three counts of aggravated arson and one count of arson. Kaitlen Hall and James Hamilton were each indicted on two counts of obstruction of justice.
If convicted on all charges, Stumpf and Stiles each face a maximum sentence of 38 and a half years; Hall and Hamilton could face a maximum sentence of up to six years.
ODOT officials have estimated the full cost of repairing the bridge would be around $10 million.
Since the fire, detours have funneled drivers across the Brent Spence Bridge and the Taylor Southgate Bridge nearby; both detours have caused considerable traffic congestion around rush hour since the Big Mac Bridge closed.
Officials in both Cincinnati and across the river in Northern Kentucky have worked to adjust traffic patterns, including making lane changes and traffic light timing shifts to help accommodate the influx of drivers heading across the Taylor Southgate.
Now, ODOT says many of those changes will again shift:
- Traffic signal timing:
- Taylor Southgate Bridge/Broadway/Pete Rose Way
- Broadway/Pete Rose Way/2nd
- Hopple Street/ I-75 SB ramp
- Eggleston/Reedy
- Changes to the left turn lane and signal timing at Liberty/Reading/I-471 ramp upon completion of sewer construction estimated to be complete by the end of February 2025.
- Travel lane reconfiguration at the 2nd Street ramp to Pete Rose Way
In Kentucky, KYTC officials will make signal changes roughly two to three hours before the southbound lanes of I-471 re-open Sunday evening. The changes will specifically impact Newport and Covington.
Traffic lights in Newport and Covington will be re-adjusted to their original configurations, which means shorter phases.
In Newport, that will happen at:
- Third & Monmouth
- Third & Saratoga
- Third and Washington
- Washington and Dave Cowens Drive
- Dave Cowens Drive & Park Avenue
In Covington, traffic signals along these roads will change:
- Fourth Street
- Fifth Street
- Greenup Street
- Scott Street
- Garrard Street
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