The I-74 bridge project team wants to know what you think about a proposed detour for Illinois-bound traffic.
On Wednesday, the team held an open house using a video and many posters to explain the plan which may be implemented next year.
Illinois DOT Field Engineer, Ryan Hippen, says the I-74 team came up with two, main options after it became clear the new, Iowa-bound bridge would not be completed on schedule around Thanksgiving.
One option is to wait and delay the work which would cost $6.9 million.
The other option is to implement the proposed detour which would cost "a couple hundred-thousand dollars."
The contractors who are building the new highway in Moline can't start working on the Illinois-bound lanes until traffic has moved to the new, Iowa-bound lanes.
George Ryan, I-74 Corridor Manager, says the proposed Illinois-bound detour for local traffic in Moline is very similar to this year's.
Two lanes of traffic from the existing I-74 bridge would have to exit at 7th Avenue and take 19th Street to the Avenue of the Cities, where drivers could get back onto the highway.
All other traffic on I-74 would be detoured to I-80 and I-280, just like this year.
People can learn about the proposed detour HERE, where the video and open house maps are available. (They are also posted below.) And comments may be submitted online or by mail through January 11th, 2020. The mailing address is I-74 River Bridge Project, 1443 Brown Street, Bettendorf, IA 52722.
I-74 Boards Public Meeting ... by Michelle O'Neill on Scribd
