Demolition on the southbound side of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge (Interstate 471) in Ohio won’t begin now until after Thanksgiving, according to state officials. There is still no timeline for when the bridge and its southbound lanes can reopen from damage in the Nov. 1 fire.
“At this point, the plan is for demo/removal work to start on Friday next week,” said a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Kathleen Fuller.
More damage than expected was recently found on not three but four beams of the south side of the bridge, according to ODOT.
As a result, the weight of the concrete deck is no longer supported, prompting the need for more shoring towers before demolition and repairs can begin, ODOT says.
Concrete pours for those towers are expected to happen next week, ODOT officials said Thursday.
“Although the details of an exact timeline for construction to begin and be completed has yet to be determined, ODOT and Great Lakes Construction are getting closer to knowing the schedule,” ODOT said in a news release. “Behind the scenes, staff have been contacting steel fabricators to determine which company will be able to expedite production of the (beams) that need to be replaced. The timeline will depend upon the availability of steel.”
The cause of the fire, which ignited a wood and rubber playground at Sawyer Point Park under the bridge, remains under investigation by the Cincinnati Fire Department.
It also remains unknown how much bridge repairs will cost and when the bridge will fully reopen again, ODOT officials continue to say.
Source: WXIX, WCPO
