Daniel Carter Beard Bridge steel girders, deck damaged by major fire

A major link between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky could be closed for weeks after a fire under the Daniel Carter Byrd Bridge damaged its steel structure, officials said Friday.

The fire at the Sawyer Point 1000 Hands Playground, which is located under the bridge, was first reported at 3:20 a.m., Cincinnati Fire Chief Frank McKinley said. The flames reached more than 40 feet and burned the bridge as well. Officials reported that about 60 firefighters were dispatched to fight the inferno.

According to Matt Bruning, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation, the massive fire caused significant damage to an approach to a bridge in Ohio that could take days or even weeks to repair and likely cost millions of dollars.

“At least three beams will need to be replaced on this part of the structure,” Bruning said. It will also be necessary to replace part of the road surface and the sign truss.

Inspectors hope to assess the northbound lanes of the bridge soon. That part of the bridge will likely be opened first, Bruning said. He said it was too early to give a time frame.

The Daniel Carter Byrd Bridge, also known locally as the Big Mac Bridge, opened in 1977 and carries about 97,900 vehicles across the Ohio River each day. Interstate 471 between the bridge and 275 was closed Friday. All access points from Cincinnati to I-471 were also closed.

McKinley said the cause and origin of the fire are under investigation.

“We’re not ruling anything out,” McKinley said.

McKinley said the site was full of wood and synthetic materials, causing the fire to likely reach several thousand degrees. According to Rocky Mertz of the Cincinnati Parks Department, the ground was covered with a spongy synthetic mat.

There are no reports of casualties. Officials said that no hazardous materials were released as a result of the fire, and vehicles were not damaged.

Small fires on the playground flared up again throughout the morning. The open flames were at the site as late as 9:30 a.m., about six hours after the first fire. At 11 a.m., McKinley reported that the fire had been extinguished.

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Reporter Patricia Gallagher Newberry contributed to this report. This story has been updated to include a video.