I-74 Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Interstate 74 Bridge, originally known as the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, and often called The Twin Bridges, or the I-74 Bridge, is a pair of suspension bridges that cross the Mississippi River
and connect Bettendorf, Iowa
and Moline, Illinois
. It is located near the geographic center of the Quad Cities
.
The first span opened in 1935 as a toll bridge. In 1959 an identical twin span was added to satisfy increased traffic. The twin spans were upgraded to carry interstate traffic in the mid-1970s. In 2005, an average of 77,800 vehicles crossed the I-74 bridge daily, making it by far the most traveled bridge in the Quad Cities. Both the Interstate 80 and 280 bridges are up to Interstate standard, while the Interstate 74
bridge has two narrow lanes, no shoulder, and a 50 mile-per-hour (80 km/h) speed limit.
The I-74 Corridor Study is underway to study replacing the bridge with a larger one with 4 lanes in each direction.
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and connect Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
and Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
. It is located near the geographic center of the Quad Cities
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
.
The first span opened in 1935 as a toll bridge. In 1959 an identical twin span was added to satisfy increased traffic. The twin spans were upgraded to carry interstate traffic in the mid-1970s. In 2005, an average of 77,800 vehicles crossed the I-74 bridge daily, making it by far the most traveled bridge in the Quad Cities. Both the Interstate 80 and 280 bridges are up to Interstate standard, while the Interstate 74
Interstate 74
Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio...
bridge has two narrow lanes, no shoulder, and a 50 mile-per-hour (80 km/h) speed limit.
The I-74 Corridor Study is underway to study replacing the bridge with a larger one with 4 lanes in each direction.