I-74 Bridge

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I-74 Bridge
I-74 Bridge
The I-74 bridge as seen from the Iowa side of the Mississippi River
Official name Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge
Carries 4 lanes of I-74/U.S. Route 6
Crosses Mississippi River
Locale Bettendorf, Iowa and Moline, Illinois
Design Twin suspension bridges
Total length 3,372 feet (1,028 m)[1]
Width 27 feet (8 m)[1]
AADT 70,400[1]
Opening date November 1935 (northbound)
December 1959 (southbound)
Coordinates 41°31′12″N, 90°30′48″W

Originally known as the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, today it is more commonly referred to as the I-74 Bridge. The bridge crosses the Mississippi River and connects Bettendorf, Iowa and Moline, Illinois. It is located near the geographic center of the Quad Cities. The first span opened in 1935 as a toll bridge. In 1959 an identical twin span was added to satisfy increased traffic. The twin spans were upgraded to carry interstate traffic in the mid-1970's. In 2005, an average of 77,800[1] vehicles crossed the I-74 bridge daily. Both the Interstate 80 and 280 bridges are up to Interstate standard, while the Interstate 74 bridge has two narrow lanes, no shoulder, and a 50 mile-per-hour (80 km/h) speed limit.

The I-74 Corridor Study is underway to study replacing the bridge with a larger one with 3 lanes in each direction.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Bridges: Iowa, Illinois order safety inspections. Quad City Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.

[edit] See also