Interstate 74 East - Quad Cities

I-74/U.S. 6 east enter the city of Moline and Rock Island County, Illinois across the basket-handle, true-arch span. A multi use trail proceeds south to Exit 1 A while four lanes extend to Exit 1 B.

06/21/22

A half diamond interchange (Exit 1 A) joins I-74/U.S. 6 on the Mississippi River Bridge with River Drive one block north of IL 92 (4th Avenue) westbound. River Drive lines the east banks of the Mississippi River to 12th Avenue and the John Deere Harvester plant, and west to a warehouse district along the Moline Pool opposite Rock Island Arsenal.

06/21/22

IL 92 follows the couplet of 4th Avenue west and 6th Avenue east through Downtown Moline. IL 92 also represents the original route of U.S. 150 west from 19th Street in Moline to 24th Street in Rock Island. River Drive west leads to Vibrant Arena at The MARK (home of the Quad City Mallards until the ECHL hockey franchise folded in 2018) and the John Deere Pavilion entertainment venue.

06/21/22

A wye interchange at Exit 1 B links I-74/U.S. 6 east directly with IL 92 (6th Avenue) east. IL 92 continues east from Moline to East Moline and Silvis. IL 92 is part of a multi state highway extending west to Muscatine, Iowa and east to U.S. 34 near La Moille.

06/21/22

Ascending southward, I-74/U.S. 6 meet Avenue of the Cities at a diamond interchange (Exit 3) in a half mile. Avenue of the Cities runs east from 23rd Avenue and 16th Street in Moline. Following efforts from the Friends of the Avenue community group, 23rd Avenue in Moline, 42nd Avenue in East Moline, and Colona Road in Silvis were renamed as Avenue of the Cities to promote businesses along the route.¹

06/20/22

Avenue of the Cities links residential areas in west Moline with the commercial strip leading east to the three-wye intersection with19th Street north to Silvis and former Colona Road east to IL 5 (John Deere Road) and Carbon Cliff.
IL 2 followed the former 23rd Avenue east to 19th Street and IL 84/92 until the early 1970s. IL 80 followed the boulevard until the early 1960s.²

06/21/22

Exit 3 departs I-74/U.S. 6 east onto 19th Street ahead of Avenue of the Cities. 19th Street constitutes frontage roads for I-74 south to 27th Street.
19th and 27th Streets represent former routes of U.S. 6, U.S. 150, IL 2 (to 38th Avenue), and IL 92.² IL 5 (John Deere Road) replaced IL 2 by 1985 from 16th Street eastward. IL 5 meets I-74/U.S. 6 next at Exits 4 A/B.

06/21/22

I-74/U.S. 6 pass under 27th Street and 19th Street (former U.S. 6/150) north one mile from the cloverleaf interchange (Exits 4 A/B) with IL 5 (John Deere Road). A 15.73 mile long route, IL 5 runs between U.S. 67 in Rock Island and I-80-88/IL 92-110 in east Moline.

06/21/22

IL 5 lines John Deere Road west 2.22 miles from I-74/U.S. 6 by Southpark Mall to Blackhawk Road at Milan Beltway. IL 5 follows Blackhawk Road 2.52 miles west to U.S. 67 in Rock Island.

06/21/22

Exit 4 A departs I-74/U.S. 6 west at the 36th Avenue under crossing. John Deere Road was constructed west of Fruitland by 1985. Prior to that time, IL 5 took 16th Street north to 36th Avenue west.²

06/21/22

IL 5 east eventually becomes I-88 at I-80/IL 110 in East Moline. Prior to July 1987, IL 5 extended along the East-West Tollway from the Quad Cities to Chicago.

06/21/22

IL 5 (John Deere Road) constitutes a controlled access commercial arterial east from Exit 4 B to 70th Street and the Moline city line. John Deere Road connects with IL 84/92 at Silvis and Carbon Cliff in 6.9 miles.

06/21/22

Although not a limited access route, it is shorter to I-88 east from I-74 via IL 5 at 10.8 miles versus taking I-74/280 east to I-80 west at 17.1 miles. A proposal in a former Quad Cities transportation plan extended the freeway from I-88 west of I-80 toward Downtown Moline, but not to I-74.³

06/21/22

A third southbound lane joins I-74/U.S. 6 east from IL 5 to Exit 5 A for I-280 west. I-280 heads to Milan and southwest Rock Island before turning northwest into western areas of Davenport near Buffalo.

06/20/22

I-74/U.S. 6 eastbound span 30th Street and the Rock River leading into the cloverleaf interchange (Exit 5) with Interstate 280.

06/20/22

Interstate 280 west combines with U.S. 61 north in 11.2 miles and U.S. 6 west in 16.9 miles.

06/20/22

Making a TOTSO movement at Exit 5 B, Interstate 74 separates from U.S. 6 and combines with I-280 east along the Quad Cities belt line for 9.89 miles to I-80/IL 110 (CKC).

06/21/22

The freeway extends 0.35 miles south along U.S. 6 from I-74/280 to 27th Street (old U.S. 6) at the entrance to Quad City International Airport (MLI). U.S. 6 turns east from the airport and continues 0.53 miles to intersect the west end of U.S. 150 near Coal Valley.

06/21/22

I-74/280 combine for 9.39 miles east to the Big X Interchange with I-80/IL 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway) near Colona.

06/20/22

Weigh stations operate along both directions of I-74/280 on the exit less stretch between U.S. 6 and I-80/IL 110 (CKC).

06/20/22

I-74/280 straddle the bluffs rising south of the Rock River along adjacent U.S. 6 east into Henry County.

06/20/22

I-74/280 make a sweeping S-curve southeast from Mosquito Creek to E 400th Street ahead of the cloverleaf interchange with I-80/IL 110 (CKC).

06/20/22

I-280 east defaults onto Interstate 80 east toward Joliet and Chicago. I-74 overtakes I-80 south alongside IL 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway) toward Galesburg and Peoria.

06/20/22

IL 110 (Chicago Kansas City Expressway) overlays Interstate 74 south 31.62 miles to U.S. 34 at Galesburg.

06/20/22

I-74 makes a second TOTSO movement in Illinois along a single lane exit ramp at I-80/IL 110.

06/20/22

End shields for Interstate 280 east appear at the Big X Interchange ahead of Mud Creek.

06/20/22

Interstate 74 travels southeast from the Quad Cities to Peoria and Indianapolis, Indiana while I-80 turns east to Chicago, South Bend, Indiana and Toledo, Ohio.

06/20/22

The succeeding exit along I-74 eastbound from I-80/280 is with IL 81, located 10.03 miles to the south near Andover.

06/20/22

I-80/IL 110 north to Interstate 88 east provides an alternate route to Chicago from East Moline.

06/20/22

The Chicago Kansas City Expressway follows I-80 north 6.72 miles to I-88. IL 110 overlays the entire length of I-88 east to I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) leading into Chicago.

06/20/22

Interstate 80 heads 10.21 miles north to the Iowa state line across the Mississippi River. Turning west at Le Claire, I-80 runs across the north side of Bettendorf and Davenport en route to Iowa City and Des Moines.

06/21/22

I-80 west links I-74/280 with parallel U.S. 6 in the city of Colona nearby.

06/21/22