After years of planning and construction, the Iowa-bound portion of the new Interstate 74 Bridge opened to traffic Thursday night. TV6 was one of the first vehicles to cross. George Ryan, the I-74 Corridor Manager, said earlier this week he was pleased with the finished product.
“It’s just a great time for the Quad Cities,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement in the Quad Cities about the opening of this, and about the project, and what you have here is a beautiful iconic structure that’s designed to last over 100 years with minimal maintenance.”
The bridge originally was slated to open early Friday, but crews were able to open it Thursday night. Ryan said the new bridge has more room with its 72-foot width in comparison to the older bridge’s 30-foot width.