NEWPORT, Ky. — Fire damaged the I-471 Daniel Carter Beard Bridge connecting Kentucky and Ohio on Nov. 1, 2024. Friday construction crews took another step toward opening the bridge.
On Jan. 13, Ohio Department of Transportation crews installed new girders, with the largest standing at 98 feet and weighing close to 27,000 pounds. Project Manager, Tom Hackett said now they’re preparing to pour concrete for the deck, the surface everyone will drive on despite freezing temperatures.
“Typically, we try to schedule deck pours in the summertime or the fall or even the spring,” said Hackett. “So, this is an atypical time to perform a deck pour because the temperatures it’s not something we’re not used to or haven’t done before.”
Hackett shared that the ideal range for pouring concrete falls between 50 to 85 degrees and so they knew they’d need something special to make it happen. One of the secret ingredients to making this project a success is six industrial heaters.
He said, “Your typical heater in your house is 100,000 BTUs. So right now, I think we’re at 2.3 million BTUs of heat. They work a little differently than the heaters at home.”
ODOT crews are trying to keep the pavement warm so the concrete can reach and maintain a perfect temperature.
ODOT public information officer Kathleen Fuller said, "... after the concrete is poured, there’ll be pavement markings and we have a sign truss to install. So there’s a lot that will happen in the homestretch.”
ODOT says the bridge, nicknamed Big Mac, is on track with an estimated reopening in March.