Progress is being made on repairs to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge following a massive fire 10 days ago.
Support towers arrived from New Jersey and will be placed under the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, also known as the Big Mac Bridge. According to a press release issued Monday by the Ohio Department of Transportation, construction of these six towers is already underway.
Traffic, diversions and a ‘robodog’: Here’s the latest on the Big Mac Bridge fire
ODOT crews poured concrete footings to support the bridge on Friday. These pedestals, or foundations, have had time to harden this weekend, providing the support base for the support towers that will soon be built to stabilize the approach to the bridge.
Once the bridge is safe enough for inspection by inspectors, ODOT can develop a repair timeline.
Work on the bridge was required after a fire broke out under the Cincinnati side of the bridge in the early hours of Friday, November 1. The 40-foot flames first emerged from the Sawyer Point 1000 Hands Playground and caused a “significant amount of fire.” of damage” on the southbound side of the Interstate 471 bridge, officials said.
The Cincinnati Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire.
Next steps to repair fire damage on Big Mac Bridge
Once the support towers are in place, inspectors will take a closer look at the damaged portion of the highway. ODOT says this will allow them to determine the full extent of the repairs and what other materials will be needed to complete the repair.
They will also be able to safely remove the damaged top board truss, which will guide ODOT in further repairs.
More: The fire on the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge in Cincinnati is reminiscent of other bridge fires and disasters in Ohio
State officials are also asking the public to be aware of the street closures.
A perimeter around the bridge access – which includes Pete Rose Way and Riverside Drive under the bridge, and part of Sawyer Point Park – has been secured and remains closed to the public. Officials are asking people not to move barricades or enter closed locations.
A pedestrian detour has also been marked, directing sidewalk users to the Ohio River path on the south side of Sawyer Point. It is open to the public during normal park hours, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big Mac Bridge fire: ODOT and gathering more information as support towers go up
