It was a packed house Monday at the Moline police station, as Mayor Stephanie Acri hosted a public meeting about construction of the new, I-74 bridge.
After an overview of the $1.2 billion project, people asked questions about traffic, when to expect closures, demolition of the existing bridge, and the construction timeline.
Project Manager, Danielle Mulholland, from the Iowa Department of Transportation, answered a couple of questions about the path for walkers, runners, and bikers. It will be built adjacent to the Illinois-bound lanes. That's the downstream, or west side, of the new bridge. It will be 14 feet wide with remote-control cameras with 360 degree views.
When someone asked what the speed limit will be on the new bridge, George Ryan, from the Illinois DOT, said he doesn't know but will find out before the next public meeting. Mulholland clarified, saying in the Iowa Quad Cities, the speed limit on I-74 will be 55 miles an hour, just like it is now.
Someone asked when 19th Street in Moline will re-open, and the answer is early December. But drivers can expect more construction on 19th Street next year. That's because it will be part of a detour in 2019, when the Iowa-bound lanes will be closed between River Drive and Avenue of the Cities in Moline.
The project website is HERE.
