NEWPORT, Ky. — Officials in Northern Kentucky are working to ease increased traffic after inspectors found more damage than they believed after a fire under the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge.
"They found even more damage than what they could see before, just by getting up close like they did," said Kathleen Fuller, ODOT spokesperson, about this past weekend's damage inspections.
Congestion along the narrow streets of Covington and Newport has continued for more than two weeks since the fire shut down the southbound lanes of I-471 on the bridge.
Drivers normally taking the Big Mac Bridge have rerouted to the Taylor-Southgate Bridge, Roebling A. Suspension Bridge or the Brent Spence Bridge. The closure has caused more traffic congestion on both sides of the river.
That traffic became an issue for residents and first responders, including the Covington Police Department.
"It does create some challenges and I'm sure it's added a little bit to our time," said Covington Police Captain Justin Bradbury.
But thankfully, Bradbury said the issues for officers have been marginal and have not had any major effect on police getting to emergencies.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has taken steps to alleviate traffic. KYTC implemented signal timing adjustments at certain Newport traffic lights. The changes went into effect on Friday and will happen Monday through Friday from 2-6 p.m.
KYTC's work has stretched to Covington, where 47 upgraded controllers were installed into traffic cabinets.
KYTC informed us that these upgrades will help engineers study traffic times and conditions. Then future solutions could be implemented to ease congestion along the roads.
As drivers are forced to wait in long lines, residents still wait for the day the Big Mac Bridge can be reopened for southbound travelers.
Fuller told us that ODOT is working to move toward building a design package as they continue to assess the damage.
"This is not off-the-shelf kind of construction. You're not just going to be able to put in an order for these parts, the materials," Fuller said.
That package will break down all the necessary repairs, replacements and plans. Once the plan is finalized, the process of getting the bridge back open will get rolling.
