Final Fate Revealed For Western Illinois I-80 Mississippi River Bridge

After years of ideas, we now know what's going to happen to the bridge between LeClaire and Rapids City.

The I-80 bridge (one of the many where people ignore the speed limit) has been the subject of debate for a while now. Efforts to rejuvenate the bridge began in 2020, but we can't forget there was the push to make it a buffalo crossing-only bridge. That project was introduced in 2021.

The I-80 Mississippi River Bridge Project has monitored traffic on the bridge, which has carried people across the river for over 50 years, according to KWQC. The bridge could use some upgrades and that's what it's about to get.

This month, plans have been introduced for a new bridge connecting LeClaire & Rapids City on I-80. It's set to have:

• 2 spans (one side going into Iowa, one side going into Illinois)
• multi-use pathway for pedestrians & bicyclists (that connect to local trails when possible)
• traffic upgrades (including the ramps & interchanges on either side of the river)
• 84 bypass to I-80

It looks really nice and much needed to help traffic flow on that bridge, but don't hold your breath on it's completion. Phase 1 is expected to be done early next year, phase 2 (the final design and land acquisition) should last a couple of years before phase 3, which is construction. Construction won't start until 2028.

We saw the 74 bridge take a while to complete, this one will take a minute too. You can get more details about the new bridge at I-80 Mississippi River Bridge's website.