The following information is a repost of ODOT's 11/26 press release about the I-471 bridge closure:

CINCINNATI – Since the November 1 fire at the southbound approach to the I-471/Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, there have been hundreds of people and dozens of companies involved in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s efforts to restore the structure that connects downtown Cincinnati to Newport, Ky. Here are the latest updates from ODOT, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), and the city of Cincinnati.

Shoring Towers Completed All of four of the additional shoring towers have been installed and are now in place. A total of 10 towers are now supporting the damaged section of I-471 during the partial demolition that will begin on Friday.

Demolition Starts Friday Crews will remove the damaged beams and concrete deck. This “surgical” demolition has been carefully planned and engineered specifically for this project. It includes details about where cuts should be made, how equipment should be staged, and how the damaged materials should be offloaded from the structure.

Media Briefing Wednesday ODOT is getting a clearer picture of a timeline for reopening the southbound lanes of I-471 that were significantly damaged by a fire on November 1.

Since the fire, teams of hundreds of people from more than two dozen companies have been working on engineering and design of a demolition and re-construction plan and obtaining the custom-made items needed to make the repairs.

ODOT will brief the media on the next steps for the demolition of the damaged section of the bridge and projected timeline for making the necessary repairs to reopen it.

Project Updates 

Updates are being provided as they are warranted. As we move into construction, we anticipate providing regular updates to inform you about the progress that has been made and the work that is planned. Of course, all updates will continue to be posted to ODOT’s web page dedicated to the bridge repair at I-471 Bridge Fire. 

Ohio Traffic Impacts and Detour 

All access points to I-471 South in Ohio are closed; these include the following restrictions in downtown Cincinnati:  

• Liberty Street access to I-471 is closed. 
• 5th Street access to I-471 is closed. 
• U.S. 50 East and West access to I-471 is closed. (U.S. 50 remains open to thru traffic.) 

Southbound I-471 traffic is being detoured by way of I-71 and I-75 South. Thru-traffic motorists and heavy truck (semi) drivers traveling south should use I-275 to I-71/75 to avoid delays, and all HAZMAT operators are required to follow the I-275 outerbelt.   

Kentucky Traffic Impacts 

A single-lane closure is in effect on I-471 North beginning at the 3.6-mile marker near Memorial Parkway and continuing across the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. 
 

Live traffic updates are available in Kentucky from GoKY and OHGO in Ohio, and additional information about restoration efforts can be found here: I-471 Bridge Fire