George Ryan, Project Corridor Manager, calls it " a monumental milestone." Now, construction crews are hanging preassembled sections of the bridge floor.
Contractors are also continuing to demolish parts of the old I-74 bridge, highway, and overpasses. Ryan says they're salvaging and recycling as much as possible. Old rebar and steel beams are sold to scrap yards, and concrete is crushed to use as a base for the new highway.
The keystone for the Iowa-bound bridge was installed about a year ago. Six months later, drivers started crossing the Mississippi River on the new bridge.
The $1.2 billion I-74 bridge project includes nearly eight miles of interstate in the Quad Cities.
When open, the Illinois-bound and Iowa-bound bridges will each feature three lanes of traffic with one exit lane and full size shoulders. The eastbound bridge will also feature a recreational trail that's separated from vehicle traffic.
