Editor's note: This news release is being sent through the Iowa DOT's new release system as a courtesy to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Dixon, IL - Oct. 31 - The Illinois Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation, will hold a fourth online public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to present study information, review the preferred alternative, and receive public comment as part of the I-80 Mississippi River Bridge study.
The public meeting will be held online at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Participants can register to attend the meeting by clicking this LINK, or visiting the project website, I80MississippiBridge.com, and registering with a name and email address.
The I-80 Mississippi River Bridge study includes approximately six miles from the I-88/I-80 interchange in East Moline, Illinois, to 35th Street SW in LeClaire, Iowa. The public is encouraged to attend the Nov. 15 meeting to learn more about the study to date, review the preferred alternative, and provide feedback to the project team. In addition to a video presentation, the meeting will include representatives from the Illinois and Iowa departments of transportation, and the project consultant team. Exhibits will be presented, and the meeting will include a question-and-answer session.
The I-80 Mississippi River Bridge was built in the 1960s and is one of three major interstate bridges in the Quad Cities. The bridge has required significant repairs and rehabilitation in recent years and traffic is increasing with associated increases in vehicular crashes. The aging bridge continues to face costly maintenance expenses, and the roadway design does not meet current standards.
In April 2020, Illinois and Iowa conducted an online public meeting to introduce a Planning and Environment Linkages study of the bridge and corridor. Based on public feedback and additional study, a second public meeting was held in May 2022, to present a range of reasonable improvement alternatives for the I-80 Mississippi River Bridge, and for the I-88/I-80 interchange. A third public meeting was held in October 2022, to present a narrowed list of improvement alternatives for public review and comment.
At the fourth meeting, study findings and the Preferred Alternative will be presented for public review and comment. All meeting materials will be available following the discussion on the project website, I80MississippiBridge.com. Comments are always welcome. Those comments received through Wednesday, Nov. 29, will become part of the public meeting record. This project is currently in Phase I: Preliminary Engineering & Environmental Studies and is expected to conclude with a final report in mid-2024. The project is then expected to move to Phase II: Final Design & Construction Plans.