Daniel Carter Beard Bridge

Daniel Carter Beard Bridge
Coordinates 39°06′02″N 84°29′40″W / 39.1006°N 84.4945°W / 39.1006; -84.4945Coordinates: 39°06′02″N 84°29′40″W / 39.1006°N 84.4945°W / 39.1006; -84.4945
Carries 8 lanes of I471
Crosses Ohio River
Locale Newport, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio
Other name(s) Big Mac Bridge
Characteristics
Design Twin Tied 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[1]
Opened January 1976 (southbound)
December 1976 (northbound)
Statistics
Daily traffic 97,900

The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge (also known colloquially as the Big Mac Bridge), is a yellow twin span steel tied arch bridge crossing the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio. It carries Interstate 471 between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky. As to the origin of this nickname, its yellow arches are said to be similar to the "Golden Arches" logo of McDonald's restaurant.[2] 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.[3] This bridge has a main span of 750 feet and has a total span of 2100 feet. 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.[4]

The bridge was originally designed by Hazelet + Erdal, now URS Corporation.

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.

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See also

References

  1. http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/daniel-carter-beard-bridge-interstate-471/
  2. Pond, Robert J. (May 1, 2003). Follow the Blue Blazes: A Guide To Hiking Ohio's Buckeye Trail. Ohio University Press. p. 93. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  3. Smith, Steve; et al. (2007). "Around Town: How to Decode Cincinnati's Many Motorways". Cincinnati USA City Guide. Cincinnati Magazine. p. 79. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  4. "Bridge to open". Kentucky New Era. Oct 28, 1976. p. 8. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
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