Interstate 74
Viewing the Interstate 74 Bridge over the Mississippi River from the Bettendorf Riverfront Trail in Iowa. - 06/18/2022
Interstate 74 leads south from I-80 in a rural area of northeastern Davenport by the Rhythm City Casino Resort. Generally serving commuter or local traffic, I-74 separates Bettendorf and Davenport south from 53rd Street to the Mississippi Riverfront. U.S. 6 combines with I-74 south from Kimberly Road to Moline, Illinois. The two routes cross the Mississippi River on the I-74 Bridge completed in 2021.
Interstate 74 Iowa Guides
A basket-handle, true-arch twin bridge replaced the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge taking I-74/U.S. 6 across the Mississippi River. Earlier plans suggested a 2012 start date for work on the new six lane crossing with an eight year time table for completion.2 Initial land acquisition for the new bridge approaches finally got underway in 2013.3 Subsequent construction in 2016 shifted roadways in Downtown Bettendorf and completed demolition work for the new right of way.
Construction for the bridge foundations commenced in Summer 2017, followed by work building the spans on either side of the Mississippi River and grading in Bettendorf. Totaling around $400 million, the first phase of the bridge work was the largest letting in Iowa history. The $1.2 billion bridge was expected to opened to traffic in 2020,4 with Phase 2 wrapping up in 2021 with demolition of the existing suspension bridges. The Iowa bound bridge opened on the morning of Friday November 13, 2020. I-74/U.S. 6 eastbound shifted onto the Iowa bound span during Winter 2021 in a two-way traffic configuration. Opened to traffic on December 2, work on the Illinois bound bridge continued through December 2021.
Improvements are slated for all of Interstate 74 between the 53rd Street interchange (Exit 1) and 23rd Avenue in Moline, Illinois as Phase 3 of the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge project. Interchange redesigns or expansion, freeway widening to six overall lanes, and safety improvements are planned for the entire freeway. Of those, the 53rd Street interchange upgrade project was completed in November 2012. The remainder of the work was anticipated for 2022 or later, depending upon funding.
All of Interstate 74 through the Quad Cities was opened to traffic by December 10, 1975.4
scenes
Additional views of the I-74/U.S. 6 - Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge from the north (west) banks of the Mississippi River in Bettendorf. The bridge was dedicated to veterans of World War I when it opened November 18, 1935 at the cost of $1.5 million. Work began in 1958 on the second bridge, costing $8.1 million. This span would open by November 1959, to carry both directions of travel as crews repaired the original span. Full opening of both bridges followed on January 20, 1960.3
05/26/08
Prior to construction of the new Mississippi River Bridge, 14th Street flowed north from U.S. 67 (State Street) and the I-74/U.S. 6 westbound off-ramp at Exit 4 to split with Kimberly Road at Mississippi Boulevard. This connection was subsequently removed.
05/29/18
Kimberly Road shifted west from 14th Street to what was a half diamond interchange with I-74/U.S. 6. The former alignment of U.S. 6 runs along the west side the freeway to Exit 2.
05/29/18
Davenport
53rd Street eastbound at Interstate 74. 53rd Street constitutes a busy arterial between U.S. 61 Business (Brady Street / Welcome Way) in Davenport and 18th Street in Bettendorf. Due to increasing traffic congestion, the exchange with I-74 was expanded from 2010 to November 2012. Two loop ramps were added from 53rd Street to the freeway.
A lane drop occurs at the eastbound on-ramp from 53rd Street now.
05/29/11
The loop ramp opened from the right side of 53rd Street east onto I-74 west opened to traffic on June 15, 2012.
05/26/18
53rd Street continues to traffic lights at Corporate Park Drive and Utica Ridge Road. Interchange construction between 2010-12 expanded the road to six lanes between Elmore Avenue and Corporate Park Drive.
05/26/18
Westbound 53rd Street meets Interstate 74 west of Corporate Park drive.
03/28/16
53rd Street was expanded to six overall lanes across Interstate 74. New overheads were installed by 2012 when the interchange upgrade was completed.
06/22/22
06/20/22
2010-12 construction also expanded 53rd Street with a concrete median. The left turn signal phase was eliminated with the new loop ramp for Interstate 74 east.
01/01/15
References:
- I-74 Iowa Highways Page.
- Renew Moline | I-74 Bridge Corridor
http://www.renewmoline.com/RenewMolineI-74BridgeCorridor.htm. - "New I-74 Bridge will finally be a reality." WQAD, Quad Cities, November 19, 2013.
- Mississippi Bridge Timeline
http://qconline.com/progress2005/stories.cgi?section=pr051&prcss=display&id=228840,Quad-Cities Online. - "I-74 bridge foundation work set for this summer." Dispatch-Argus, February 8, 2017.
Photo Credits:
- Alex Nitzman: 05/26/08, 03/28/16, 05/26/18, 05/29/18, 06/20/22, 06/22/22
- AARoads: 05/29/11, 01/01/15
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Page Updated Tuesday December 05, 2023.