CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge and both sides of Interstate 471 over the Ohio River between downtown Cincinnati and Newport remain closed Friday after a massive fire damaged the bridge.

The inspection of the northbound lanes has been completed and they hope to reopen some of those lanes, but the timeline is still unclear, said Matt Bruning, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Bruning says ODOT is working with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to come up with a plan to safely open those lanes.

The southbound lanes of I-471 will remain closed until further notice, he said.

Daniel Carter Beard Bridge Detours

The southern end of the bridge has “some significant damage” and repairs could cost millions, according to Bruning.

Part of the bridge deck needs to be replaced, along with at least three steel beams and a truss, he said.

“It’s obviously going to take some time to get some steel beams in here,” Bruning said. “A fire under a bridge like this is of great concern and it will take some time before it is reopened.”

It could take weeks to six weeks, he acknowledged.

Great Lakes Construction will begin work on the bridge Friday evening, Bruning said.

He confirmed the repairs would be similar to those made to the Brent Spence Bridge when it was closed for six weeks at the end of 2020 due to a fiery early morning truck accident.

Cincinnati Fire Chief Frank McKinley said the cause of the fire and where it started are under investigation.

“We haven’t ruled anything out,” he says.

They are working with Cincinnati police and federal investigators.

Videos and photos of the fire are currently under review.

The playground was full of wood and synthetic materials, causing a fire that probably reached several thousand degrees, according to the fire chief.

Flames shot as high as 40 feet into the air, sparking a second fire on the bridge, Assistant Fire Chief Matt Flagler said.

No one was injured and no vehicles or hazardous materials were involved or released.

The Cincinnati Fire Department initially responded to the incident at 3:20 a.m. In total, about 60 firefighters fought the fire.

There were conflicting messages from 911 callers, Flagler said.

Some reported a vehicle fire on southbound I-71 and others said there was a fire under or near the highway and bridge, the assistant fire chief said. There were also first reports of explosions.

When firefighters arrived, they found the playground at Sawyer Point Park off Pete Rose Way completely engulfed in flames.

The heat and flames from the fire intensified and spread to the bridge, where a second fire ignited, Flagler said.

“The fire on the bridge was quite complex and caused some damage to the structural steel of the bridge,” he said.

Firefighters reported seeing “concrete falling on the north side of the bridge” and “significant metal warping under the bridge to the point where it could collapse,” according to initial emergency communications reports.

The fire was under control, but it took hours for crews to fully extinguish the hot spots.

Sawyer Point will be closed Friday “due to damage from the fire,” Cincinnati Parks wrote on their Facebook page.

The playground, called the 1000 Hands Playground, appears destroyed.

All roads in downtown Cincinnati to I-471 are closed, as is Pete Rose Way.

According to Cincinnati Police, boats are still allowed on the Ohio River under and around the bridge.

Officials emphasized safety during a news conference Friday afternoon.

Bruning asked people to avoid the area because of the damage and not to remove, move or drive around barricades.

Motorists are advised to plan ahead and find an alternate route.

Live traffic updates are available in Kentucky from GoKY and OHGO in Ohio.

ODOT also has a new website for updates and urges the public to follow it on social media.

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