{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox bridge |bridge_name= Daniel Carter Beard Bridge |image= "Big Mac" Bridge.jpg |image_size=300px |caption= |official_name= |also_known_as= Big Mac Bridge |carries= 8 lanes of {{jct|country=USA|I|471}} |crosses= Ohio River |locale= Newport, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio |maint=Kentucky Transportation Cabinet<ref>{{cite web | url=https://maps.kytc.ky.gov/bridgedataminer/ | title=ArcGIS Web Application }}</ref> |id= |design= Twin bowstring arch bridges |mainspan= 230.92 meters (757.6 feet) |length= 639.93 meters (2,099.5 feet) |width= 15.27 meters (50.1 feet) |clearance= 5.49 meters (18 feet) |below= |traffic= 97,900 |cost= $14 million<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/daniel-carter-beard-bridge-interstate-471/ |website=Bridges & Tunnels |title=Daniel Carter Beard Bridge (Interstate 471) |access-date=July 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711021541/http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/daniel-carter-beard-bridge-interstate-471/ |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |open= January 1976 (southbound)<br />December 1976 (northbound) |closed= |toll= |map_cue= |map_image= |map_text= |map_width= |coordinates = {{coord|39.1006|-84.4945|display=inline,title}} }}
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. It has a main span of {{convert|750|ft}} and has a total span of {{convert|2100|ft}}.
== Name == The bridge 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. The name was chosen in a poll conducted by the Kentucky Department of Transportation in 1976. Of the more than 17,000 ballots submitted by Northern Kentucky and Southwestern Ohio residents, more than half went to Beard. It was believed to be the first time a major Interstate bridge was named in a popular poll.<ref name="Dedication">{{cite news|title=Dan Beard Bridge Dedication Planned|work=The Boone County Recorder|location=Burlington, Kentucky|date=February 10, 1977|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boone-county-recorder/193464980/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> One of the other four names on the ballot, former Kentucky governor Bert Combs, would later be applied to the Combs–Hehl Bridge just upriver.
The nickname, "Big Mac Bridge", comes from the yellow arches being similar to the "Golden Arches" logo of McDonald's restaurant.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=prXzjVIRwXAC&q=%22Daniel+Carter+Beard+Bridge%22&pg=PA93 |title=Follow the Blue Blazes: A Guide To Hiking Ohio's Buckeye Trail |publisher=Ohio University Press |date=May 1, 2003 |access-date=June 2, 2013 |last=Pond |first=Robert J. |pages=93 |isbn=9780821414897}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sh4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA79 |title=Around Town: How to Decode Cincinnati's Many Motorways |publisher=Cincinnati Magazine |work=Cincinnati USA City Guide |date=2007 |access-date=May 6, 2013 |last1=Smith |first1=Steve |last2=Woods |first2=Jamie |pages=79}}</ref>
== History == The downriver span carrying southbound traffic opened on January 28, 1976. Opening of the upstream span carrying northbound traffic was delayed until October 29 due to earth slippage on the Ohio side.<ref>{{cite news|title=New I-471 bridge to be partially opened today|agency=Associated Press|work=The Courier-Journal|location=Louisville, Kentucky|date=January 28, 1976|edition=Early|page=C3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal/193462805/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=New Ohio bridge to open|agency=Associated Press|work=Paducah Sun-Democrat|location=Paducah, Kentucky|date=October 28, 1976|page=3—A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-paducah-sun/193462921/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19761028&id=uugrAAAAIBAJ&pg=1376,6514522&hl=en |title=Bridge to open |work=Kentucky New Era |location=Hopkinsville, Kentucky |date=October 28, 1976 |access-date=April 21, 2016 |page=8 |agency=Associated Press |via=Google News Archive}}</ref> At the request of the Dan Beard Council, the bridge's formal dedication was delayed until February 13, 1977. The day was proclaimed "Daniel Carter Beard Day" by Kentucky governor Julian Carroll, Ohio governor Jim Rhodes, Cincinnati mayor Jim Luken, and Newport mayor John Peluso. About 1,000 scouts attended the dedication ceremony in observance of National Scouting Month.<ref name="Dedication" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Beard Bridge dedicated|work=The Cincinnati Post|location=Cincinnati|date=February 14, 1977|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-post/193467979/|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Felicia |last1=Jordan |first2=Taylor |last2=Weiter |url=https://www.wcpo.com/massive-fire-shuts-down-big-mac-bridge-destroys-sawyer-point-playground|title=Northbound lanes of I-471 reopen at Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, southbound lanes remain closed |work=WCPO-TV |date=November 1, 2024|access-date=November 1, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jennifer Edwards |last=Baker |url=https://www.fox19.com/2024/11/01/massive-fire-damages-daniel-carter-beard-bridge-i-471-closed/ |title=Massive fire damages Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, I-471 closed |work=FOX19 Cincinnati |date=November 1, 2024 |access-date=November 1, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/massive-fire-shuts-down-daniel-carter-beard-bridge-and-i-471-over-ohio-river-cincinnati-fire-department-ems-pete-rose-way-ohio-department-of-transportation/|title= Massive fire shuts down Daniel Carter Beard Bridge and I-471 over Ohio River|work=WKRC|date=November 1, 2024|access-date=November 1, 2024}}</ref> The southbound lanes were closed due to the need for extensive repairs.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Aponte |first=Nicole |date=November 19, 2024 |title=Officials: Damage to Big Mac Bridge worse than initially believed, traffic patterns changing to cross Ohio River |url=https://www.wlwt.com/article/big-mac-bridge-damage-update-traffic-patterns-closure/62947576 |access-date=November 19, 2024 |work=WLWT |language=en}}</ref> On December 10, 2024, four people were arrested for causing the fire. The repairs included the replacement of seven steel girders. The bridge was expected to fully reopen in March 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Keel |first1=Fletcher |title=Bond set for suspects charged in connection to Big Mac Bridge fire |url=https://www.wlwt.com/article/cincinnati-big-mac-bridge-fire-fourth-arrest-charges/63157567 |access-date=December 18, 2024 |work=WLWT |date=December 11, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The bridge reopened ahead of schedule on February 9, 2025.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gallagher Newberry |first1=Patricia |title=Big Mac back in business over the Ohio River |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2025/02/09/big-mac-bridge-reopens/78374582007/ |access-date=March 2, 2025 |work=Cincinnati Enquirer |date=February 9, 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
{{Commons category|Daniel Carter Beard Bridge}}
==See also== * {{Portal-inline|Transport}} * {{Portal-inline|Engineering}} * {{Portal-inline|United States}} * {{Portal-inline|Ohio}} * List of crossings of the Ohio River * List of longest arch bridge spans
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110711021541/http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/daniel-carter-beard-bridge-interstate-471/ Daniel Carter Beard Bridge] at Bridges & Tunnels * [https://www.cincinnati-transit.net/bigmac.html Daniel Carter Beard Bridge] at Cincinnati Transit * {{Structurae|id=20005007|title=Daniel Carter Beard Bridge}}
{{Crossings navbox |structure = Bridges |place = Ohio River |bridge = Daniel Carter Beard Bridge |bridge signs = 25px |upstream = Combs-Hehl Bridge |upstream signs = 25px |downstream = Newport Southbank Bridge |downstream signs = '''Pedestrian''' }}
Beard Category:Bridges completed in 1976 Category:Newport, Kentucky Category:Bridges over the Ohio River Category:Tied arch bridges in the United States Category:Road bridges in Kentucky Category:Road bridges in Ohio Category:Buildings and structures in Campbell County, Kentucky Category:Interstate 71 Category:1976 establishments in Kentucky Category:Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Category:1976 establishments in Ohio Category:Steel bridges in the United States Category:Transportation in Campbell County, Kentucky