Like the new $1.2-billion I-74 bridge, a new $237-million Centennial Bridge is recommended to be built right next to the existing one, and the iconic 1940 span between Davenport and Rock Island would be demolished once the new bridge is done, around 2036.
Representatives of the Illinois and Iowa transportation departments met Wednesday at the Rock Island Holiday Inn for a media briefing on the preferred alternative and hosted a three-hour open house on the project plans.
The two states (which will share all costs 50/50, like the 74 bridge project) launched the U.S. 67 (Centennial Bridge) Corridor Project to evaluate long-term transportation solutions for the corridor connecting Rock Island and Davenport. The study limits extend from Fifth Street in Davenport to Seventh Avenue in Rock Island.
The project is currently in Phase I, which follows federal guidelines to assess transportation needs, evaluate alternatives, identify and mitigate potential environmental impacts, and gather public input. The Phase I study is expected to conclude in the summer of 2027, and construction could not begin until completion of a new I-80 bridge crossing the Mississippi River, expected to take place between 2028 and 2032, DOT officials said Wednesday…