OHIO — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn announced that the southbound lanes of the Interstate-471 bridge, known as the "Big Mac Bridge," will reopen Sunday, exactly 100 days since the bridge was damaged by a fire. 

What You Need To Know

  • The southbound lanes have been shut down since Nov. 1, when a fire broke out in a playground below the bridge

  • ODOT said it'll announce the exact timing of the lanes opening on its social media pages

  • Four people have been charged in connection with the fire

“Reopening southbound access to this bridge in just over three months is a tremendous accomplishment," said DeWine. "The closure of these lanes wasn't only an inconvenience but also a disruption to the supply chain. I applaud our ODOT team and their partners for working hard to finish the project ahead of schedule."

The fire broke out early on Nov. 1, 2024, damaging both the southbound lanes of the bridge and the playground underneath, known as Sawyer Point Park. That day, all lanes were closed until the afternoon when the northbound lanes reopened. Nobody was injured in the fire, authorities said. The southbound lanes have been closed since then. 

Four people have been charged in connection to the fire.

DeWine said ODOT, the Great Lakes Construction, more than two dozen sub-contractors and other partners worked to get the bridge back up and running. 

Throughout the weekend, crews will work on grinding and grooving the deck of the bridge and ensuring final touches before it reopens. 

“Emergency projects require a lot of very quick action and around-the-clock work,” said Director Boratyn. “I am extremely proud of the efforts put in to getting this bridge and highway fully reopened.”

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will adjust traffic signals in Newport and Covington approximately two to three hours after the reopening of I-471 southbound.

According to KYTC, the following signals in Newport will be adjusted back to their original configurations, which will include shorter phases:

  • Third Street & Monmouth Street
  • Third Street & Saratoga Street
  • Third Street and Washington Avenue
  • Washington Avenue and Dave Cowens Drive
  • Dave Cowens Drive & Park Avenue

In Covington, signals will be adjusted to original configurations:

  • Fourth Street
  • Fifth Street
  • Greenup Street
  • Scott Street
  • Garrard Street

KYTC said updated traffic controllers were installed at these signals in November.

For a list of signal adjustments in Cincinnati and more information about the ODOT repair project, they have set up a website.

The exact time the lanes repopen will be announced on ODOT's social media pages, about an hour before the final barricades are removed. 

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