CINCINNATI — Nearly one month after a fire shut down all southbound lanes of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, or Big Mac Bridge, the Ohio Department of Transportation says it will soon begin the demolition of portions of the bridge deck.
On Friday, Nov. 1, at around 3:30 a.m., the 1,000 Hands Playground in Sawyer Point Park caught on fire, causing part of the bridge to burn. Days later, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a state of emergency "due to the dangerous conditions and damages."
In an update Monday afternoon, ODOT said crews began installing the second round of shoring towers, which are needed to support the bridge before any demolition can begin. The towers should be up before Thanksgiving, with demolition starting Friday.
"As mentioned the day of the fire, the section of southbound I-471 that suffered the most significant damage will need to be removed and replaced," ODOT said in its release. "Close-up inspections on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16, found even more damage to the deck, bearings and girders than the initial inspections revealed."
ODOT said engineers have been designing custom demolition plans for each piece — from the concrete deck to the girders — to make sure crews and residents are safe.
At this time, ODOT still has not released a timeline for when repairs will be finished as officials said the timeline will depend on the availability of steel.
"These are going to be custom-made. It's not off-the-shelf where we can just order parts from a catalog, so to speak," ODOT spokesperson Kathleen Fuller told WCPO last week. "There are some unique components with the hinge joint underneath the bridge. These are things that people don't see when they're traveling."
Once they know when they can get steel to replace the girders, Fuller said it will provide an update on the projected timeline. The single northbound lane closure will also have to be permanent until repairs are complete on that side of the bridge.
To address traffic needs, a lane closure on the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge was removed last week to better ease congestion. Kentucky transportation officials have also adjusted signal timing at certain Newport and Covington traffic lights during weekday rush hour to help those traveling through the area due to the closure.
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