Starting early tomorrow, drivers who use I-74 to cross the Mississippi River to Illinois should pay attention to a couple of changes in their routes.
If going to downtown Moline, they'll follow a detour to take the old bridge.
But when traveling farther south, drivers will use the new bridge. Project Corridor Manager George Ryan says tonight, crews will start uncovering detour signs and move a few barriers to change traffic patterns.
Up until this week, only Iowa-bound traffic has been traveling on the new bridge. But tomorrow, drivers headed to the Avenue of the Cities, John Deere Road, I-280, and beyond will take two, east-bound lanes on the new bridge.
In Bettendorf, drivers can access I-74 at or north of Middle Road in Bettendorf to continue onto the new bridge in "head-to-head" traffic. The first Illinois exit on this route will be Avenue of the Cities.
Or to go to downtown Moline, Ryan says drivers on I-74 East will take Exit 4 to Grant Street and US 67, then continue on State Street to get on the old bridge. Drivers already in downtown Bettendorf can use the ramps on State and Grant streets. Then after crossing the old bridge, drivers must exit on Moline's River Drive or 7th Avenue.
This new traffic pattern will be in place until construction of the second new bridge is complete. But the project team will implement some access changes early next year.
