
On Wednesday, November 15th at 4 pm, the Illinois and Iowa departments of transportation will host a fourth public meeting online as part of the study.
A year ago, the Interstate-80, bridge study team narrowed the options from seven to four to replace the bridge which is 56 years old. Since then, the Illinois and Iowa DOTs and a consultant have been studying the four alternatives.
Two feature building a new bridge either 50 feet east or west of the existing bridge. The other options propose construction of two, side-by-side bridge spans, either 20 feet east or west of the existing bridge. And during the meeting, the study team will announce what it calls "the Preferred Alternative."
All four options would allow traffic to continue on I-80 during construction. They all feature a total of six lanes plus two exit lanes, similar to the new, I-74 bridge. The project also includes six miles of interstate and the re-configuration of the I-80, I-88 interchange.
The team will accept public comments through November 29th.
Register to participate in the public meeting on the project website HERE.
A final decision could be made in 2024.
The video below was presented last year during the third public meeting. Start at 6:29 to hear more about the four options the team has been studying.