Open for traffic Friday morning (November 13) was the westbound portion of the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge in the Quad Cities. That span connects Moline with Bettendorf, Iowa.
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Construction on the bridge began in 2017 but was in the planning stages for years before that. Reconstruction of roads on either side of the water to accommodate the new bridge began in the early 2010s.
The news bridge is replacing a twin span. The westbound portion dates from 1935. The eastbound span was opened 60 years ago.
Together, they average about 80,000 vehicles daily, about double their intended capacity. Standing just west of the new bridge, the old spans are to be demolished sometime next year.
Each old-bridge span has two lanes of traffic and no shoulders. It isn’t up to Interstate standards. The new arched bridge has four lanes in each direction, as well as a pedestrian/bicycle path.