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    • Authorities will have more updates on the Big Mac Bridge fire Friday afternoon
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    Authorities will have more updates on the Big Mac Bridge fire Friday afternoon

    Harry Posted on

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    Fire and transportation department officials will provide further updates on the matter. Fire closed the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge early Friday morningAccording to an alert from the city of Cincinnati.

    The Cincinnati Fire Department, Ohio Department of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold a second press conference at 5 p.m. Friday to share the latest information on the massive fire that damaged one of the major bridges connecting Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

    The briefing will be held at the intersection of Pete Rose Way and Butler Street.

    Relating to: Fire closed the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. Here are other bridges that will cross the Ohio River

    Here’s what we know so far about the fire:

    How did the fire start?

    The fire started at the Sawyer Point 1000 Hands Playground under the bridge and was first reported at 3:20 a.m., Cincinnati Fire Chief Frank McKinley said. The flames reached 40 meters and caused a fire on the bridge. Officials said about 60 firefighters were sent to fight the blaze.

    McKinley said the cause and source of the fire is being investigated.

    “We didn’t rule anything out,” McKinley said.

    He added that the playground was full of wood and synthetic materials, which likely caused a fire that reached several thousand degrees. The ground was covered with a spongy synthetic mat, according to Rocky Merz of the Cincinnati Parks Department.

    Small fires in the playground reignited throughout the morning. There were open flames in the area as late as 9.30am, about six hours after the initial fire. The fire was extinguished by 11 a.m., McKinley said.

    More: Cincinnati’s Daniel Carter Beard Bridge fire is a reminder of other fires and disasters on Ohio bridges

    When will the bridge open?

    According to Matt Bruning, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Transportation, the massive fire caused significant damage to the bridge’s Ohio approach; Repairing this damage can take days or even weeks and possibly cost millions of dollars.

    “At least three beams will need to be replaced in this portion of the structure,” Bruning said. Some of the road decking and the sign beam will also need to be replaced.

    Inspectors hope to evaluate the northbound lanes of the bridge soon. Bruning said this part of the bridge will be reopened first. He said it was too early to give a timeline.

    Were there any injuries?

    No injuries were reported. Officials said no hazardous materials were released as a result of the fire and no vehicles were damaged.

    Federal government aware of bridge fire

    US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared that he was aware of the X bridge fire and was in contact with local and state officials.

    “I have spoken with Governors DeWine and Beshear, and our department has been in contact with OH and KY DOTs to provide support. If you are in the area, please follow the instructions of local officials,” he said in his post.

    When was the bridge built?

    Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, known locally as the Big Mac bridgeIt was dedicated in 1977 with the governors of Kentucky and Ohio, astronaut Neil Armstrong and then-U.S. Senator John Glenn in attendance, the Enquirer reported at the time.

    Construction began in the early 1970s. The northbound span was completed in August 1974, and work then began on the southbound span. The second span was completed about a year later, and the bridge opened to limited traffic in late 1976.

    Who is the bridge named after?

    The bridge is named after one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America. Beard’s at 322 E. Third St. in Covington. His childhood home at National Historic Landmark It overlooks the Ohio and Licking rivers.

    The Boy Scouts lobbied hard to have the distance bear Beard’s name, the Cincinnati Post reported at the time; some rowed the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers, carrying petitions to the governor in Frankfort, Kentucky.

    According to the Enquirer report, Beard was chosen as the bridge’s namesake in a poll conducted by Kentucky highway officials; This is the first time a bridge anywhere has been named this way, he said.

    How many people use the bridge?

    The last traffic count on the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge was conducted in 2023, according to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Jake Ryle. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) was then 102,102.

    Harry
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