Update on the Branan Field-Chaffee Expressway, well not much has changed, construction has progressed a little on the future freeway connector and interchange between Florida 23 and Interstate 10. This scene however, looks identical to December 2007. Touted as Segment 2 of the overall project, work began January 16, 2007 and is expected to be completed by next fall.
For those who have wondered, it appears that U.S. 23 still ends at U.S. 1 & 17. Signage posted on U.S. 1 & 17 (Main Street) south at State Street includes U.S. 23 shields and a new U.S. 23 shield assembly is posted along State Street west of Laura Street.
The Southside Connector freeway is now fully open to traffic, including the interchange with Florida 115 (Arlington Expressway) at Regency Square Mall. The freeway provides a direct connection from Florida 9A (Dames Point Bridge) southbound to the Arlington Expressway for interests to central Jacksonville.
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What began as a local river crossing in 1935, the Interstate 74 & U.S. 6 bridges (Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge) across the Mississippi River between Moline and Davenport are reaching the end of their life span. Though never built to Interstate standards, the 1935-northbound bridge and 1959-built southbound span were added to the Interstate system in 1974. Each suspension bridge carries two lanes without left or right-hand shoulders. The safety issues alone warrant a change, but the bridge design does not allow for any expansion, with a pony truss style siding constructed along east side. Additionally the bridge was already over capacity by 1998, with 74,000 vehicles per day (vpd) crossing a span that can only adequately handle 64,000 vpd.
Picture of the Illinois-Indiana Memorial Bridge from the north banks of the Mississippi River at Bettendorf. A levee system protects the downtown area of Bettendorf from the river. Along the barrier is a walk/bike path, boat ramp, park area, and the Isle of Capri Casino.
Forward to May 23, 2006, the Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transportation held a joint public meeting to select the recommended bridge type for the Interstate 74 replacement. Four designs were considered until the end, the first consisted of a basket handle true arch twin bridge, essentially spans side by side with arches that converge at the top. Second on the list was a modified basket handle tied arch bridge design, with vertical pier and hangers. This configuration is similar in design to what is used for Interstate 280’s crossing of the Mississippi River west of Rock Island, with cross members joining two sets of arches on each span. Design three was similar to the basket handle design but with tied arches. The final design consisted of a cable stayed sing bridge with a semi-fan stay arrangement, essentially a cable-stayed bridge with three support towers. View the designs for yourself here.
The Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge travels 66 feet above the Mississippi and is 5,148 feet in overall length. Its name honored the veterans of World War I during its dedication (northbound span) on November 18, 1935. The southbound bridge was built for $8.1 million in 1958, with both open for traffic after a 1959 closure of the original for repairs on January 20, 1960.
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