For the first time in four months, early-morning commuters are driving over the southbound lanes of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, better known as the Big Mac Bridge.Barriers came down Sunday night, exactly 100 days after the fire. The emergency repairs were completed about a month ahead of schedule. Ohio transportation officials estimate the total cost of repairs coming in around $10.5 million.It was all paid for by the state.Construction crews and contractors worked around the clock, not only coming up with a plan to replace the damaged parts of the bridge but to install it all safely.Even with the road reopen, there are still a few things left to be done.”The only thing left that we’ll have to do is the sign truss,” said Kathleen Fuller with the Ohio Department of Transportation. “There’s an overhead sign truss and the gantry wasn’t fabricated on time, but we weren’t going to hold up getting it opened back up just because that’s a non-critical item. “And so they’ll come back in, I don’t know, maybe a couple of weeks, whether it’s delivery and they’ll put that in. But that would be an overnight lane restriction.”The entrance ramp from Liberty and Reading Road onto the bridge will not be reopening for a few more weeks, but the reopening of lanes has relieved drivers of a huge headache.”It added about an hour and a half to two hours everyday of commuting,” said Emily Slonkosky, a Bellevue resident.”I’m pretty excited,” added Matthew Litteken, who also lives in Bellevue. “I didn’t realize how much I used it going to and from until it was actually closed.”Four people are facing charges in the fire that shut down. Terry Stiles and Zachary Stumpf are charged with arson, while Kaitlen Hall and James Hamilton are accused of lying to investigators.All four were indicted last month. Stumpf and Stiles are set for hearings later this month to determine if they are competent enough to stand trial.
For the first time in four months, early-morning commuters are driving over the southbound lanes of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, better known as the Big Mac Bridge.
Barriers came down Sunday night, exactly 100 days after the fire.
The emergency repairs were completed about a month ahead of schedule. Ohio transportation officials estimate the total cost of repairs coming in around $10.5 million.
It was all paid for by the state.
Construction crews and contractors worked around the clock, not only coming up with a plan to replace the damaged parts of the bridge but to install it all safely.
Even with the road reopen, there are still a few things left to be done.
“The only thing left that we’ll have to do is the sign truss,” said Kathleen Fuller with the Ohio Department of Transportation. “There’s an overhead sign truss and the gantry wasn’t fabricated on time, but we weren’t going to hold up getting it opened back up just because that’s a non-critical item.
“And so they’ll come back in, I don’t know, maybe a couple of weeks, whether it’s delivery and they’ll put that in. But that would be an overnight lane restriction.”
The entrance ramp from Liberty and Reading Road onto the bridge will not be reopening for a few more weeks, but the reopening of lanes has relieved drivers of a huge headache.
“It added about an hour and a half to two hours everyday of commuting,” said Emily Slonkosky, a Bellevue resident.
“I’m pretty excited,” added Matthew Litteken, who also lives in Bellevue. “I didn’t realize how much I used it going to and from until it was actually closed.”
Four people are facing charges in the fire that shut down. Terry Stiles and Zachary Stumpf are charged with arson, while Kaitlen Hall and James Hamilton are accused of lying to investigators.
All four were indicted last month. Stumpf and Stiles are set for hearings later this month to determine if they are competent enough to stand trial.