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Flood Delays I-74 Bridge Construction. Again.

Flooding and wet weather continue to delay work on the new, I-74 bridge over the Mississippi River.

Engineer Doug McDonald, from the Iowa DOT, says last week, Lunda Construction workers placed two more pieces of the arch onto large bridge piers near Bettendorf. But with the second crest predicted to be seven feet above flood stage, it's waiting to do the same on the Moline side. The current is just too fast for the large barges with huge cranes sitting on them. 

In addition, several rainy days may delay work on the new, west-bound highway in Bettendorf. A crew has been paving the road, but rain has been causing some problems.

The contractor building the new I-74 viaduct in Moline is also scheduled to start pouring concrete overnight through Tuesday at 8 A.M., weather permitting. Traffic on River Drive will be reduced to one lane in each direction for that part of the project.

Credit http://www.i74riverbridge.com/traffic/webcams.aspx / I-74 River Bridge Project
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I-74 River Bridge Project
Screenshot of the construction staging area behind River Stone Group in Moline where the water is rising

McDonald also says high water is now affecting construction staging areas along the river in Moline.   

Even an extra staging area at the east end of Ben Butterworth Parkway is flooding.
 

During the second crest, safety is the top priority. So crews will be given other projects to work on.

Officially, Michelle's title for 28 years was WVIK News Editor. She did everything there is to do in the newsroom and whatever was needed around the radio station. She also served as Acting News Director from September 2023 - January 2024.
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