Daniel Carter Beard Bridge

The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge carries Interstate 471 over the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Newport, Kentucky.

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History

In 1961, discussions were held regarding the construction of a second interstate bridge over the Ohio River, connecting Cincinnati and Kentucky. These discussions involved public meetings where the idea of building an expressway from Interstates 71 and 75 at the Brent Spence Bridge, moving eastward through Covington and Newport, and then north into Ohio, was proposed. However, this plan was abandoned due to strong opposition, as it would have necessitated the demolition of a significant portion of the city’s historic districts.

Subsequently, a new plan was introduced for the proposed Interstate 471, which would pass through Newport. This plan included the construction of a bridge over the Ohio River, linking the east side of downtown Cincinnati with Newport. The bridge would connect Interstate 71 to the proposed Circle Freeway (Interstate 275), located on the southern outskirts of the region. The process of acquiring the necessary land for the river crossing began in January 1968, and plans for the bridge and approaches designed by Hazelet & Erdal of Louisville were approved by 1970. ¹⁰

The bids received for constructing the main river piers and substructure of the proposed Interstate 471 bridge over the Ohio River were rejected ^{1 2 4} on September 18, 1970, ⁴ as they exceeded the engineers’ estimates significantly. The lowest bidder was Traylor Brothers, who quoted $4.9 million. Despite efforts to reduce costs through design changes, Traylor Brothers submitted a new bid of $5.75 million for the piers in December. ⁵ However, this bid was later accepted at $5.3 million in February 1971 after further modifications were made. ^{6 7} The construction of the substructure was already in progress by July. ⁷

In October, Bethlehem Steel Corporation submitted a low bid of $15.5 million for the construction of approach spans and superstructure of the main river spans for the proposed bridge. ³ Construction of the superstructure commenced in November. ^{1 2}

In August 1974, the construction workers successfully finished building the first arch for the new Ohio River crossing. ⁸ To save money and resources, they decided not to construct a separate set of falsework towers for the second arch. Instead, on August 23, they used a hydraulic jack system to move the arch span 70 feet, nine inches upstream, a process that took approximately five hours to complete. Afterward, they began working on the second arch using the same falsework as the first.

In January 1976, the downstream bridge opened to traffic, allowing vehicles to travel in both directions. The upstream bridge followed on October 29, 1976, at which point it was used for northbound traffic, while the downstream bridge was used for southbound traffic. ⁹ At that time, Interstate 471 in Kentucky was still under construction, so the bridge had only one lane for each direction, facilitating the transportation of motorists between Interstate 71 in Cincinnati and KY Route 8 in Newport. On the day of the bridge’s opening, a few engineers, state highway officials, and camera crews observed as an old white sedan drove onto the newly finished bridge in Newport and crossed over into Cincinnati, marking the milestone without much ceremony. It took a few more years for Interstate 471 to be completed up to US Route 27 and Interstate 275 in Kentucky.

Subsequently, on October 5, the bridge was officially named after Daniel Carter Beard, the founder of the Boy Scouts of America ^{1 9} after a poll among area residents. ¹¹ The Scouts had actively campaigned for the bridge to bear his name, even going as far as paddling down the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers to deliver petitions to the governor in Frankfort, Kentucky. The dedication of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge took place on February 13, 1977, with Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown leading the ceremonies. ^{1 11} The bridge was finished at the cost of $24 million, ¹¹ with the total cost of the approaches and ramps coming in at $16 million and corrective action that cost $30 million. ¹⁰

After Interstate 471 was completed in Kentucky, the bridge was fully opened to six lanes of traffic. It was later restriped to eight lanes of traffic after the breakdown shoulder was eliminated in December 2000.

Controversy

In 1973 and 1974, landslides occurred at Baum and Kilgore Streets in Cincinnati’s Mt. Adams neighborhood, resulting in property damage and the collapse of six buildings. ¹⁰ These incidents were caused by the construction of two ramps: one connecting Interstate 471 northbound to Fort Washington Way westbound and another connecting the Columbia Parkway Viaduct to Sixth Street. Despite the need for comprehensive studies from Hazelet & Erdal, they were not conducted due to their high cost.

James Hough, a reputable local consultant, and former top engineer for the state of Illinois, proposed a solution to address the land movement. ¹⁰ His plan involved adding earth at the base of the hill to replace the soil that was removed, thus fixing the cause of the landslide. This idea, supported by Dr. Arvid Johnson, a geologist from the University of Cincinnati, would have cost around $3 million. However, the state dismissed it as impractical because it would require relocating highway ramps and could cause operational issues.

Instead, the state preferred a different approach, which involved demolishing properties in the lower Mt. Adams neighborhood bounded by Baum, Kilgour, Oregon, and Fifth Streets. ¹⁰ They planned to construct a conventional retaining wall on bedrock on the downhill side of Baum Street, between Monastery and Oregon Streets. This alternative was estimated to cost $8 million but would necessitate the demolition of several homes. To preserve these houses, the city enlisted a geotechnical engineering firm from Seattle to propose a unique wall and tunnel construction design. The plan involved building a retaining wall along the south edge of Kilgour, stretching 1,280 feet, and anchoring it to a 1,000-foot tunnel located nearly 100 feet below the surface.

The federal, state, and local engineers accepted this proposal, estimating its construction cost to be $10 million. ¹⁰ However, Ohio’s deputy highway director warned that implementing the project could lead to additional landslides and further damage to the properties it intended to protect. Regardless, the tunnel and wall project began in 1979 with a projected cost of $22 million.

The warnings proved true in 1980 when additional land movement necessitated the demolition of 13 out of the 27 buildings intended for preservation, necessitating the city and state to spend $2.5 million to buy up property and relocate 75 residents. ¹⁰ Among the remaining 14 structures, the city-owned seven, while two were slated for removal due to damage. In total, the mistake cost taxpayers at least $30 million more than the $16 million needed to complete the Interstate 71 connection.

“It just shows you have to be careful if you mess with Mother Nature.”

Cincinnati City Engineer Joseph Bischoff ¹⁰

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Gallery

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Information

• State: Kentucky, Ohio
• Route: Interstate 471
• Type: Steel Arch
• Status: Active - Automobile
• Total Length: 2,099'
• Main Span Length: 757'
• Deck Width: 50'
• Above Vertical Clearance: 18'

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Sources

1. Reis, Jim. “Change in direction – East-west route along riverfront once envisioned for Interstate 471.” Kentucky Post, 9 May 2005, p. K4.
2. Reis, Jim. “I-471′s birth slow to come.” Kentucky Post, 30 Nov. 1998, p. 4K.
3. “Bethlehem Steel low bidder for approach spans to bridge.” Courier-Journal, 8 Oct. 1971, p. B3.
4. “Interstate Span Bids are Rejected.” Lexington Herald, 19 Sept. 1970, p. 17.
5. “Highway Department Opens Toll Road Bids.” Park City Daily News, 13 Dec. 1970, p. 7.
6. Bills, Sheryl. “An Expressways Box Score: Plans, Building, Completions.” Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Feb. 1971, p. 4.
7. “River View.” Cincinnati Post, 30 Jul. 1971, p. 33.
8. “Don’t Cross Until It Gets Where It’s Going.” Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Aug. 1974, p. 33.
9. Perry, Doug. “Span to Cincinnati open.” Courier-Journal, 30 Oct. 1976, pp. B3-B5.
10. Harasim, Paul H. “The Mt. Adams wall: building on a problem.” Cincinnati Post, 22 Apr. 1983, pp. 1A-10A.
11. “Beard Bridge dedicated.” Cincinnati Post, 14 Feb. 1977, p. 9.