Rock Island Centennial Bridge

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Centennial Bridge

Official name	Rock Island Centennial Bridge
Carries	4 lanes of US 67
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois
Maintained by	Iowa and Illinois Department of Transportation^[1]
Design	Steel arch bridge
Total length	4,447 feet (1,355 m)^[1]
Clearance below	66 feet (20 m)
AADT	14,900^[2]
Opening date	July 12, 1940^[3]
Coordinates	41°30′54″N, 90°34′54″W

The Centennial Bridge, or Rock Island Centennial Bridge, connects Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. The bridge is 3,850 feet (1,173 m) long and stands 170 feet (52 m) above water level. In 1988, lights were installed on the arches, which make the bridge a very scenic sight at night.

Construction of the bridge began in 1938 and it opened on July 12, 1940^[3] as a toll bridge. The bridge cost $1.75 million to construct.^[1] It was designed by Ash-Howard-Needles & Tammen and built by the American Bridge Company, McCarthy Improvement Company, and Priester Construction Company. The original toll was $0.10,^[1] and eventually rose to $0.50 for automobiles (and as high as $2.00 for semi-trucks). The tolls were removed from the bridge on May 2, 2003. On that day, a ceremony was held to commemorate the occasion, as well as to honor the toll workers and those who had worked for the bridge during the toll era. The bridge had been under the management of Sue Nelson before going toll-free.

Early in the bridge's history, pedestrians paid a $.05 walker's fee; this fee ended in 1960.

It was originally going to be named the "Galbraith Bridge", after Rock Island's mayor at the time, Robert Galbraith. He suggested it be named the Centennial Bridge, in commemoration of the city of Rock Island's centennial.^[1]

The five arches of the bridge are a symbol often used to represent the Quad Cities. Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport is located just upriver from the bridge. On the Rock Island side, "The District," the nightlife hub of the Quad Cities, is located about one block east of the bridge.