Illinois-bound I-74 bridge traffic changes begin Friday

For motorists heading Illinois-bound on the I-74 bridge, start planning your new route now. New traffic changes will begin Friday and it is going to be a little tricky.

New traffic changes are coming to the Illinois-bound portion of the I-74 bridge. With the Iowa-bound portion being completed, the other half of the old bridge and other party of the new bridge are starting to be worked on.

On Monday, officials from the new I-74 bridge announced new traffic changes for motorists heading Illinois-bound on I-74. Officials laid out how to get to downtown Moline, Avenue of the Cities, John Deere Rd., I-280, and 7th Ave. & 19th St.

Officials suggest that you get to know your route and continue to drive with caution.

• Get to know your route
  • Two routes will be provided to get to Illinois – one will provide access to downtown Moline, and the other to Avenue of the Cities, John Deere Road, and I-280.
• Getting to downtown Moline
  • Motorists on Illinois-bound I-74 must take Exit 4 to Grant Street/US 67 and continue on to State Street to take the on-ramp to the old bridge.
  • Motorists in downtown Bettendorf can access the old bridge using the existing ramps at either State Street or Grant Street/US 67. After crossing the bridge, motorists will need to exit at either River Drive or 7th Avenue.
• Getting to Avenue of the Cities, John Deere Road, and I-280
  • Motorists on Illinois-bound I-74 must take the route provided on the new bridge.
  • Motorists in Iowa can access Illinois-bound I-74 at or north of Middle Road. Illinois-bound traffic will then take the new Iowa-bound bridge in a two-way, head-to-head traffic configuration. The first Illinois exit available on this route is Avenue of the Cities.
  • The new traffic pattern will be in place until the new Illinois-bound bridge is complete, however, there will be some access changes in early 2021.
• 7th Avenue & 19th Street
  • 7th Avenue and northbound 19th Street will remain closed. I-74 traffic using the 7th Avenue off-ramps will only be able to turn right. After the Illinois-bound I-74 traffic change is in place, contractors will re-stripe the 7th Avenue/19th Street intersection. This work is weather-dependent, and updates will be provided as we get closer to the date.
  • Motorists should continue to drive with caution, pay attention to traffic signs, and watch for changing traffic patterns.

There is no word on when other traffic changes will go into effect.