Nearly $18 million has been spent so far on preliminary designs, environmental studies, surveys and engineering for the new Interstate 74 bridge and proposed corridor improvements.
The initial estimate for replacing the four-lane bridge with a new six-lane structure and upgrades to the interstate corridor between 53rd Avenue, Davenport, and Avenue of the Cities, Moline, was $600 million. More recent estimates have pegged the cost at $900 million.
A public meeting on the project's "Final Environmental Impact Statement" will be held Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 4 to 7 p.m., at The Mark of the Quad Cities, Moline (aka i wireless center).
CH2MHill, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, is the project manager for the bridge and corridor improvements. It and its subcontractors have received nearly $18 million to date for work related to the structure and corridor improvements.
The billing information from the Iowa Department of Transportation, CH2MHill has been paid $11.6 million for "early preliminary work for the entire corridor, survey, preliminary roadway design for the central section, geotechnical and retaining wal studies for the central section, all environmental work, public involvement, aethetics, cost reviews, traffic analysis and utility studies."
Another $2.7 million has been paid for preliminary bridge design services for the Central Section and location drainage studies for the entire corridor.
A total of $2.2 million has been spent for additional survey work, geotechnical studies, preliminary road and bridge design and retaining wall studies for the Iowa portion or the project. The same work for the south, Illinois, portion of the project has amounted to slightly more than $1 million.
Among the subcontractors to CH2MHill is Rosales Gottenmoeller Partners, Boston, which developed the preliminary bridge designs. The firm, according to its web site, did the conceptual design, community participation and architectural visualizations and physical models for the project.
Four bridge types were evaluated for the project, and a "basket handle true arch" design was selected as the "preferred bridge type" for the the project.
