Officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced that crews began the first of two concrete pours on the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. This is another milestone toward reopening the roadway.
Over 27 truckloads of concrete were hauled to the construction site, according to ODOT. The first pour consisted of 250 cubic yards of concrete and will take between seven and 10 days to cure.
After this pour cures, the next step is a closure pour that will bridge the gap between the new deck and the existing bridge deck, according to ODOT officials.
The cold weather has proved challenging as concrete requires temperatures above 40 degrees to cure. To combat that, crews have used a series of forced-air heaters and insulated blankets and tarps to keep the concrete at a consistent temperature.
Project manager Tom Hackett said that all other repairs on the bridge are complete, leaving only the concrete pours to finish the project.
Once the concrete pours are done, crews will put up the parapet wall and paint the road dividers.
The southbound lanes of the bridge are still expected to reopen in March.
Source: Fox 19, WXIX
