Hundreds of local residents turned out Wednesday to look at plans to re-configure the I-74 John Deere Road interchange in Moline. The Illinois Department of Transportation held an open house at the Moline Library to show its preliminary proposals designed to improve safety and handle more traffic.
Studies and Plans Engineer, Masood Ahmad, says the interchange was built decades ago and the "clover leaf" should be replaced with what's called a "diverging diamond interchange." It would allow John Deere Road traffic to turn right onto I-74 without stopping, then the lanes switch sides to cross the highway, so vehicles turning left can enter without stopping.
The lanes then switch back to the "right" side.
The preliminary design and public input is phase one. If money ever becomes available Ahmad says phase 2 would be the final design, followed by phase 3 - construction.
He estimates phases 2 and 3 would cost 70 million dollars, and take 3 years to complete.
About 25,000 vehicles per day now use the I-74 John Deere Road interchange in Moline, and the DOT now projects traffic will total 40,000 a day in ten years.
