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Government

Like Crocuses, New Bridge Foundations Will Pop Up Soon

http://i74riverbridge.com/traffic/webcams.aspx
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I-74 Mississippi River Bridge website
Panoramic view from a webcam

When real spring weather finally arrives in the Quad Cities, it should make hundreds of construction workers happy.

Michelle O'Neill gives us an update on the I-74 bridge project.

Credit Michelle O'Neill / WVIK News
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WVIK News
Daneille Mulholland, I-74 Bridge Construction Project Manager

Project Manager, Danielle Mulholland, from the Iowa Department of Transportation, says over the winter, Lunda Construction completed four concrete pours to create footings for the main bridge arch.

And a sub-contractor, Michel's, completed 140 drilled shafts into 12 feet of rock below the Mississippi River. A total of 239 will support the rest of the bridge.

All but one of the bridge contracts that include steel have been signed, with steel prices set. And Mulholland says President Trump's new tariff on foreign steel shouldn't be a problem because the contractors are required to buy American steel.

Credit http://i74riverbridge.com/newsroom/gallery.aspx / I-74 Mississippi River Bridge website
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I-74 Mississippi River Bridge website
Rebar & concrete are enclosed in a steel coffer dam as Lunda Construction builds a foundation for the basket arch of the new bridge.

The project manager can't say exactly how many jobs have been created by the $1.2 billion project. But she can say 100 to 200 people in the Quad Cities are working on it every day.

Mulholland reminds drivers not to gawk at the barges, cranes, and workers while traveling on the existing I-74 bridge. There are safer ways to see what's going on, including a webcam and photos HERE.

MAP MAP MAP i74_2018construction by Michelle O'Neill on Scribd

Government
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.