Governor DeWine Announces Southbound I-471 to Reopen Sunday

Highway will reopen 100 days after being closed due to a fire.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Pamela Boratyn announced today that the southbound lanes of Interstate 471 approaching the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge will reopen on Sunday evening, exactly 100 days after the roadway was severely damaged by fire.

“Reopening southbound access to this bridge in just over three months is a tremendous accomplishment," said Governor 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 Ohio Department of Transportation, Great Lakes Construction, more than two dozen sub-contractors, and other partners all worked together to design the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge, fabricate the needed materials, and manage traffic around the closure during the work.

Between now and Sunday, crews will put finishing touches on the bridge, including grinding and grooving the deck, final welding below the expansion joint seal, and pavement striping.

“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.”

ODOT will announce an exact reopening time on social media about an hour before the final barricades are removed.

Traffic Pattern Re-adjustments Being Made
During the closure, the Cincinnati Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) adjusted traffic signals and made other traffic pattern changes to ease congestion.

With traffic patterns returning to normal, the Cincinnati DOTE will make the following changes:

• Traffic signal timing:
  • Taylor Southgate Bridge/Broadway/Pete Rose Way
  • Broadway/Pete Rose Way/2^nd
  • Hopple Street/ I-75 SB ramp
  • Eggleston/Reedy
• Changes to the left turn lane and signal timing at Liberty/Reading/I-471 ramp upon completion of sewer construction estimated to be complete by the end of February 2025.
• Travel lane reconfiguration at the 2nd Street Ramp to Pete Rose Way

In Kentucky, KYTC signals engineers will make changes to signals approximately 2-3 hours after the reopening of southbound I-471.

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

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

In Covington, signals will be adjusted to their original configurations along:

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

Upgraded traffic controllers were installed at these signals in late November.  KYTC is committed to continue to monitor traffic flow patterns after the reopening to determine if further adjustments can be made to move traffic more efficiently through the Newport and Covington corridors.