Crews begin repairs to the Daniel Carter Byrd Bridge after a fire.

CINCINNATI — A week after a fire destroyed a playground, closed a bridge and blocked traffic, crews were busy trying to fix the situation.

A fire has reduced the wooden playground under the Daniel Carter Byrd Bridge, also known as the Big Mac Bridge, to ashes. Early in the morning on Friday, November 1st. The bridge was completely closed, eventually reopening some northbound lanes that night. However, southbound lanes from Cincinnati into Northern Kentucky are expected to be closed for several weeks as workers clean up the damage.

Children's playground destroyed after fire — Children’s playground destroyed after fire

On Thursday, crews installed “footers” to begin the foundation of the support towers. The Ohio Department of Transportation said the towers will help stabilize the scene and allow workers to safely begin necessary repairs.

“Right now we have an unsafe structure and it is not safe for people to be on the bridge or work under it. So we need to put up support towers to stabilize the structure,” said Kathleen Fuller, public affairs officer for ODOT.

ODOT said in a daily update that the towers will be built over the weekend and concrete pouring will take place on Friday. The repair process may still take several weeks.

“One of the biggest things we had to work on was the future renovation project,” Fuller said.

Metal running boards under the Daniel Carter Byrd Bridge — Crews move metal supports under the Daniel Carter Byrd Bridge

Areas of Sawyer Point closed after fire reopened Wednesday. Open trails allowed people to get a closer look at the burned bridge.

“The fact that a fire in a playground can reach a high enough temperature to melt the beams, you can clearly see the beams are damaged,” Newport resident Ed Bex said as he walked through the area.

The closure of the Big Mac Bridge has hit drivers. Commuters had to change their routes to various bridges, including the Taylor-Southgate Bridge, the Roebling Bridge and the Brent Spence Bridge.

Southbound traffic on the Taylor-Southgate Bridge.

Kathleen Fuller and other officials asked residents to be patient as the recovery process moves slowly.

“If you have to go south across the river, you have to allow extra time,” Fuller said.

The situation prompted Gov. Mike DeWine to announce state of emergency earlier this week. We will continue to provide updates as they are released.

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