Project Description

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The I-74 Mississippi River Bridge historically has provided an important east-west link in the nation's transportation network. The I-74 bridge crosses the Mississippi River on two separate structures. The westbound bridge, Illinois to Iowa, was completed and opened in 1935. The eastbound bridge, Iowa to Illinois, was completed in 1959 and opened in 1960. Both original structures are suspension bridges.

In 2016, traffic on the I-74 bridges across the Mississippi River exceeded a 74,000 average daily traffic count. It is estimated that traffic volumes will rise to approximately 99,900 vehicles per day by 2035.

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The I-74 Mississippi River Bridge project is part of a regional strategy for improving access across the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities. It includes the replacement of the I-74 twin bridges over the Mississippi River, interchange ramp reconfigurations, and interstate and local roadway improvements. Construction began in July 2017 and the new bridge fully opened to traffic in December 2021. The new bridge provides four lanes in each direction and two full size shoulders on the Iowa-bound bridge and Illinois-bound bridge. A multi-use path on the bridge connects to paths in Bettendorf and Moline. Between Middle Road in Bettendorf and Avenue of the Cities in Moline, I-74 has been expanded to three lanes in each direction with additional lanes at select locations.

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