Daniel Carter Beard Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 39°06′02″N84°29′40″W / 39.1006°N 84.4945°W |
Carries | 8 lanes of I-471 |
Crosses | Ohio River |
Locale | Newport, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio |
Other name(s) | Big Mac Bridge |
Maintained by | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet [1] |
Characteristics | |
Design | Twin bowstring arch bridges |
Total length | 639.93 meters (2,099.5 feet) |
Width | 15.27 meters (50.1 feet) |
Longest span | 230.92 meters (757.6 feet) |
Clearance above | 5.49 meters (18 feet) |
History | |
Construction cost | $14 million [2] |
Opened | January 1976 (southbound) December 1976 (northbound) |
Statistics | |
Daily traffic | 97,900 |
Location | |
The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge (also known colloquially as the Big Mac Bridge), is a yellow twin span steel bowstring arch bridge crossing the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio. It carries Interstate 471 between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky. The nickname comes from the yellow arches being similar to the "Golden Arches" logo of McDonald's restaurant. [3] The nickname was coined by local residents after the bridge's golden arches were constructed. In the 1980s, McDonald's considered opening a floating restaurant at the base after the nickname caught on, but never went to construction. [4] This bridge has a main span of 750 feet (230 m) and has a total span of 2,100 feet (640 m). It is named in honor of Daniel Carter Beard, the founder of the Sons of Daniel Boone and one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America. [5]
The bridge was originally configured with three lanes and an emergency shoulder on each span. In December 2000, with the completion of a reconstruction project on the 3rd Street Viaduct approach, the bridge was reconfigured to four lanes on each span. The bridge was originally designed by Hazelet + Erdal, now URS Corporation.
In the early morning hours of November 1, 2024, a fire beneath the bridge in Sawyer Point Park spread to the park's playground, engulfing the bridge in flames and causing structural damage. [6] [7] [8] The southbound lanes were closed due to the need for extensive repairs. [9] On December 10, 2024, local news reported that four people were arrested for causing the fire. [10]
Interstate 71 (I-71) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the midwestern and southeastern regions of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-64 and I-65 in Louisville, Kentucky, and its northern terminus at an interchange with I-90 in Cleveland, Ohio. I-71 runs concurrently with I-75 from a point about 20 miles (32 km) south of Cincinnati, Ohio, into Downtown Cincinnati. While most odd numbered Interstates run north–south, I-71 takes more of a northeast–southwest course, with some east–west sections, and is mainly a regional route serving Kentucky and Ohio. It links I-80 and I-90 to I-70 and ultimately links to I-40. Major metropolitan areas served by I-71 include Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.
The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky. When opened on December 1, 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1,057 feet (322 m) main span, which was later overtaken by John A. Roebling's most famous design of the 1883 Brooklyn Bridge at 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m). Pedestrians use the bridge to get between the hotels, bars, restaurants, and parking lots in Northern Kentucky. The bar and restaurant district at the foot of the bridge on the Kentucky side is known as Roebling Point.
Interstate 471 (I-471) is a 5.75-mile-long (9.25 km) Interstate Highway, linking I-71 in Downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, to I-275 in Highland Heights, Kentucky. South of I-275, the expressway continues south to U.S. Route 27 (US 27) as unsigned Kentucky Route 471 (KY 471).
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The Brent Spence Bridge is a double decker, cantilevered truss bridge that carries Interstates 71 and 75 across the Ohio River between Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. The top deck carries Kentucky-bound traffic while the bottom deck carries Ohio-bound traffic.
The Veterans Bridge is a steel and welded girder bridge that carries Interstate 579 over the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1988 it cost $420 million. It opened on November 11, 1988 complete with 107th National Guard howitzers firing ceremoniously from the deck, as the last link in I-579. The bridge, 1,050 feet (320 m) in length, has a main span of 410 feet (120 m) and is 51 feet (16 m) above the water. The roadway atop the structure is seven lanes wide, with six lanes dedicated to northbound and southbound traffic and one lane designed for reversible High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV-2) movements.
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge is a six-lane, single-deck cantilever bridge that carries southbound Interstate 65 across the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. The main span is 700 feet (213 m) and the bridge has a total length of 2,498 feet (761 m). The span carries six southbound lanes. It is named after U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
The Ohio River Bridges Project (ORBP) was a 2002–2016 transportation project in the Louisville metropolitan area primarily involving the construction of two Interstate highway bridges across the Ohio River and the reconstruction of the Kennedy Interchange near downtown Louisville.
The Carroll Lee Cropper Bridge is a continuous steel arch-shaped truss bridge over the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky. Built between 1968 and 1977, the four-lane arched truss span provides a western Ohio River crossing for the Interstate 275 beltway around the Cincinnati area. The section of Interstate 275 on the Cropper bridge is the only Interstate highway in the Cincinnati, Ohio area that goes between Indiana and Kentucky.
The Fort Henry Bridge is a crossing of the Ohio River main channel in Wheeling, West Virginia. The tied-arch bridge carries two lanes in each direction of Interstate 70 (I-70), U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 250. The bridge opened after four years of construction work on September 8, 1955, costing $6.8 million, $1.8 million over budget. The bridge, along with the aging Wheeling Suspension Bridge, are the only two road links from Wheeling Island to downtown Wheeling, although this is the only one that allows vehicular traffic. In 2009, the structure carried an average of over 60,000 vehicles per day.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge is a four-lane tied arch bridge in the United States. It carries Interstate 470 over the Ohio River between Bellaire, Ohio and Wheeling, West Virginia.
The Blue Bridge is a four-lane arch-truss bridge connecting Pasco, Washington to Kennewick, Washington. U.S. Route 395 crosses the Columbia River via this bridge. The name comes from the blue paint used on the truss superstructure, with white paint on the suspension beams. The bridge was painted green at time of construction. It is one of three bridges connecting Pasco to the other members of the Tri-Cities of Washington, along with the Cable Bridge to the east and the Interstate 182 Bridge from Richland to the northwest.
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