CINCINNATI — After just 100 days since fire destroyed a major portion of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, tens of thousands of of drivers can take a deep breath and once again be on their regular route between Cincinnati and Kentucky.

The Big Mac Bridge is expected to reopen this Sunday, way ahead of schedule.

What You Need To Know

  • Daniel Carter Beard Bridge is expected to reopen by Sunday night

  • Crews have completed the repairs a month ahead of schedule

  • The final steps include grooving and grinding on the concrete deck and making pavement markings

Since the fire in November, the repairs have been a colossal undertaking.

“It was just a lot of work, a lot of around the clock operations and really just not giving up at any time,” said ODOT public information officer Kathleen Fuller.

 Gov. Mike DeWine even issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency.

“That’s really what let it jump start and get off the ground really quickly,” said ODOT District 8 Deputy Director Doug Gruver.

 From building giant shoring towers to installing massive steel girders and creating heated enclosures during the concrete pour, it was a challenge to combine new and old materials.

Now they’re at the last step.

“The crews are doing some grooving and grinding on the concrete deck,” said Fuller.

“What that does is help increase the friction so that when you’re driving in the rain or snow that is does have friction on the concrete,” Gruver added.

 ODOT said a project like this from inception to the end of construction would normally take approximately three years.

“Had it been a traditional project where we weren’t as pressed on the timeline, there probably would have been days where they took off because it was so cold, frigid, snow and ice falling. In this case, they just kept working,” said Gruver.

 Crews kept pushing and now Sunday is right around the corner.

“So the pavement markings will have to be done at optimal temperature on Sunday. So it’s going to be done in the late afternoon when it’s about the warmest when it’ll be, and once that is done, the crews will get out here and start taking down the traffic controls. So around 4 or 5 o’clock the pavement markings will go down and sometime around 8 p.m., they will start the process of reopening,” said Fuller.

Right now ODOT said they can’t give a final cost for the repairs, but right now it’s totaling about $10.5 million.