The Iowa Department of Transportation removed parts of the old I-74 bridge Sunday, which connects Iowa and Illinois over the Mississippi River, a process officials hope to complete by 2024.
Certain areas were temporarily closed, including the main navigation channel in the river, which will be shut for up to 24 hours after demolition contractor, Helm Group, used controlled explosives to remove the suspension cables and towers on the bridge.
“Areas outside the main navigation channel will be closed for up to 72 hours,” the IDOT said in a news release on June 5.
The I-74 bridge spans over the Mississippi River between Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois.
I-74 bridge demolition, explosion video
When will the demolition of the old bridge be completed?
The old bridge is set to be completely removed by 2024, IDOT said.
“The I-74 bridge traffic is overcapacity, leading to long delays and frequent need for repairs,” the IDOT said. The new bridge was needed to “accommodate current and future traffic volumes.”
Construction crews started the new project in July 2017. The Iowa-bound bridge opened in November 2020, and the Illinois-bound bridge in December 2021.
“The project consists of reconstructing 5.5 miles of I-74, including new river bridges over the Mississippi River to replace the old suspension bridges,” IDOT said.
The project cost about $1 billion in total, including engineering, design and construction costs.
