‘Allows us now to move forward;’ Busy street reopens after Ohio River bridge fire closure

CINCINNATI — The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has reopened a busy street under the Interstate 471 Daniel Carter Bridge.

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Pete Rose Way/Riverside Drive is back open as inspections wrap up, according to our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati.

As previously reported by News Center 7, an overnight fire broke out on Nov. 1 at the Sawyer Point Park playground and damaged the bridge. It caused significant damage.

Since then, southbound I-471 over the bridge remains closed.

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While the roadways and their sidewalks have reopened, the parking lot underneath the “Big Mac Bridge” will remain closed to keep the area secure for safety reasons, ODOT told WCPO.

“There’s very, very severe damage to this structure,” said Kathleen Fuller, ODOT spokesperson.

She also says completing up-close inspections is a big step.

“This allows us now to move forward with getting into that design and what that’s going to look like for reconstruction,” Fuller said.

ODOT does not have an answer to that.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

For up-to-date information on the investigation, go to transportation.ohio.gov/471fire.

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