The Iowa and Illinois Departments of Transporation have selected a "basket handle true arch" design for a proposed new Interstate 74 Bridge between Bettendorf and Moline. The public comments on four designs favored a cable-stayed bridge, but transportation officials said the twin basket handle bridge would allow for more efficient deck replacement and more flexibility for traffic and construction staging. The bridge replacement and revamping of the I-74 corridor through Bettendorf and Moline is expected to cost more $670 million. The animation above provides four views of the proposed basket handle bridge design along with a photo (taken last January) of the current twin suspension bridge across the Mississippi River. The new bridge would have three lanes, versus the current two, in each direction, along with additional width for shoulders and a bike/pedestrian crossing.
