Repairs are expected to last until March

This breaking news report will be updated.

Repair and reconstruction work on the fire-damaged Daniel Carter Beard Bridge is expected to be completed by early March, transportation officials announced Wednesday.

Demolition work on the bridge is expected to begin on Friday. Teams will start with the bridge and move to the beams. Demolition work is expected to be completed by mid-December.

Several lanes of Interstate 471 have been closed since a fire broke out under the bridge on November 1. Since then, Ohio Department of Transportation crews have installed new shoring towers and repaired portions of the bridge most damaged by the fire.

The four-month repair timeline is much longer than the 41 days it took to reopen the Brent Spence Bridge after a fire in 2020. Indeed, demolition of the damaged section of the Big Mac Bridge is not a “typical demolition,” transportation officials said Wednesday.

The fire deformed several steel beams, detaching them from the concrete deck of the bridge. Due to a lack of support, the bridge deck buckled, officials said. “Specialized demolition plans are necessary to ensure the approach remains stable for the safety of the public and workers,” according to an ODOT release.

Traffic Impacts Caused by the I-471 Bridge Fire

In Kentucky, a single-lane closure is in effect on northbound I-471, beginning at the 3.6 mile marker near Memorial Parkway and crossing the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge.

All access points to I-471 in Ohio are closed:

Liberty Street access to I-471 is closed.
Fifth Street access to I-471 is closed.
Access to eastbound and westbound US 50 at I-471 is closed. However, the highway remains open to through traffic.

Southbound I-471 traffic is being diverted via Interstate 71 and Interstate 75 south.

Motorists and tractor-trailer drivers traveling south should use Interstate 275 to I-71/75 to avoid delays. All hazardous materials operators must follow the outer belt I-275.

Firefighters put out huge blaze that forced bridge closure

Firefighters fear the integrity of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge may have been compromised after a massive fire broke out underneath.