This afternoon, Rock Island Representative Mike Halpin was set to ask members of the House transportation committee to approve a resolution to support Bison Bridge.
Matt Hughes is a consultant working for the Bison Bridge Foundation. He says the purpose of the resolution is to teach elected officials about the proposal which would use the existing I-80 bridge as a wildlife crossing and pedestrian bridge. He wants to "get eyeballs" on the project and make it clear to the governor just how important Bison Bridge is to local residents.
Halpin, and representatives Tony McCombie from Savanna and Dan Swanson from Alpha are all sponsoring the Bison Bridge resolution.
The park would be built without taxpayer dollars. Hughes says it'll be privately funded. The foundation is working with a company called Clayco to develop a budget including maintenance costs.
Right now, the Illinois DOT is in the process of deciding whether to build a new I-80 bridge between LeClaire and Rapids City. More details about the process are HERE.
The Illinois House Transportation Committee hearing was scheduled for this afternoon, but it's been pushed back. Hughes and the Bison Bridge Foundation are asking people to submit witness slips to the committee to show support for the proposal.
