Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Pamela Boratyn announced that the southbound lanes of Interstate 471 approaching the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge reopened on the evening of Feb. 9, exactly 100 days after the roadway was severely damaged by fire.
"Reopening southbound access to this bridge in just over three months is a tremendous accomplishment," DeWine said. "The closure of these lanes wasn't only an inconvenience, but also a disruption to the supply chain. I applaud our ODOT team and their partners for working hard to finish the project ahead of schedule."
The Ohio Department of Transportation, Great Lakes Construction, more than two dozen sub-contractors and other partners all worked together to design the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge, fabricate the needed materials and manage traffic around the closure during the work.
Crews spent Feb. 9 putting finishing touches on the bridge, including grinding and grooving the deck; final welding below the expansion joint seal; and pavement striping.
"Emergency projects require a lot of very quick action and around-the-clock work," Boratyn said. "I am extremely proud of the efforts put in to getting this bridge and highway fully reopened."
