Big Mac Bridge southbound I-471 lanes to reopen Sunday, 3 months after fire
The southbound lanes of Interstate 471 will open Sunday, a major relief to Greater Cincinnati drivers trying to cross the Ohio River over the Daniel Carter Beard bridge.
'Reopening southbound access to this bridge in just over three months is a tremendous accomplishment," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a Friday morning news release. "The closure of these lanes wasn't only an inconvenience but also a disruption to the supply chain. I applaud our (Ohio Department of Transportation) team and their partners for working hard to finish the project ahead of schedule."
State officials closed the bridge Nov. 1 following a dramatic and destructive fire underneath it. They quickly reopened most of the northbound lanes but have kept the southbound side closed as workers repaired the Interstate 471 connection south.
The repairs will cost more than $10 million. Investigators have filed aggravated arson charges against two people they believe set the fire and charged two others with obstructing the fire investigation.
Here's what's happened since a Halloween night fire closed southbound Beard and snarled traffic throughout downtown and beyond:
Nov. 1: Fire erupts around 3:20 a.m. at the 1000 Hands Playground at Downtown's Sawyer Point Park, immediately closing the Beard bridge overhead.
Nov. 1: The Cincinnati Fire Department's fire investigation unit takes over a probe into the fire's cause.
Nov. 2: Three of the four northbound lanes of the bridge, leading to northbound Interstate 471, reopen.
Nov. 27: The Ohio Department of Transportation says the southbound side of the Big Mac – nicknamed that because of its yellow paint and resemblance to the M in the McDonald's restaurant signs – will remain closed until March.
Dec. 5: Transportation department photos reveal how the fire warped steel girders and officials put the cost of repairs at "at least $10 million."
Dec. 10: Crews finish removing damaged sections of the concrete deck of southbound I-471, and begin removing the damaged steel.
Dec. 10: Cincinnati police arrest and charge two men with aggravated arson for the fire, filing charges of obstruction of justice against two others.
Dec. 17: Steel begins arriving at Stupp Bridge to fashion into girders.
Dec. 20: Workers open the left-most lane of northbound I-471, after replacing 70 feet of highway wall charred by the fire and installing a fence on the wall's edge to protect it from vandals.
Jan. 13-15: Workers install seven steel girders to support new concrete decks on southbound I-471. Transportation officials update the estimated pricetag as $10.7 million and the likely reopening as early to mid-March.
Jan. 25: Crews pour the first of two layers of concrete for the decks.
Feb. 1: Crews pour the second layer of concrete.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Daniel Carter Beard bridge lanes to reopen Sunday, ahead of schedule
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