CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Parks has announced that sections of Sawyer Point are reopened after a large fire closed most of the area around the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge on Nov. 1.
The western lawn, the southern pathway and the pickleball/tennis courts at Sawyer Point are all now available for visitors to use. The area under the damaged part of the bridge will remain closed to the public until deemed safe by Cincinnati Parks and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).
Parts of Sawyer Point are back open! Visitors may use the western lawn, the southern pathway, and the pickleball/tennis courts. For your safety, most of the area underneath the 471 bridge remains closed. Please see the map for available parking and additional closures. pic.twitter.com/X6Hvnx1VqK
— Cincinnati Parks (@CincyParks) November 6, 2024
Northbound lanes of traffic on I-471 at the bridge are open, while the southbound lanes remain closed. A release from ODOT said that designs are being finalized for the shoring towers that will stabilize the bridge, with construction planned to begin at the end of the week. While repairs continue, all points of access to I-471 South in Ohio are closed and motorists and pedestrians are prohibited from entering these areas.
Damages to the park and bridge were sustained after a fire started at 1,000 Hands Playground at Sawyer Point at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 1 and spread to sections of netting and wire on the bridge, which took responding firefighters several hours to declare as under control. No one was injured in the fire and no hazardous materials were involved or released as a result.
Additional information about bridge repairs can be found on ODOT's website.
