The following information is a repost of ODOT's 12/17 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.

Steel Begins Arriving at Fabricator
The first pieces of steel needed for custom-building the new girders for the I-471 southbound approach to the Daniel Cater Beard Bridge have started arriving at Stupp Bridge in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Additional loads of steel are on the way to the fabricator.

Stupp Bridge will fabricate the girders and ship them to Cincinnati. The goal is to have all girders delivered by mid-January. Crews will then be able to install the girders and begin work on a new concrete deck.

The 147-page shop drawings for girders, which detail how each piece is fabricated, were delivered Friday afternoon. ODOT’s team worked through the weekend to get them approved by Monday afternoon.

Concrete Bridge Pier Repairs Completed
Today, crews poured new pier cap pedestals that will support the girders. Bearings damaged in the fire are being refurbished at a facility in Brunswick, Ohio. Once they return to the site, they will be installed on top of the new pier cap pedestals.

Damaged Girders Being Tested
Some of the girders damaged by the fire have been taken to a Federal Highway Administration lab outside Washington, DC. They will be tested to look at how they failed and why. This testing will help improve materials, going forward.

Northbound Wall Getting Fence
Crews have been installing the new vandal protection fence on top of the recently poured concrete wall of northbound I-471. This replaces 70’ of damaged wall. Once the wall is completely cured and the fence is in place, crews will begin removing the work zone and reopening all lanes of northbound I-471. This is expected to happen by the end of this week.

Construction Next Steps
The next steps of active construction will come in preparation for the custom-made girders arriving in mid-January. In the meantime, planners continue working behind the scenes on the girder erection sequence and engineering. This will allow crews to immediately begin installing the girders once they arrive on site.

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