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Quad Cities Bridges

From the hulking steel swingspan of the historic Government (or Arsenal) Bridge to the graceful arches of the new I-74 bridge, the Quad Cities has river crossings as varied as the communities in this regional destination.

With our location on the world-renowned Mississippi River and Rock River, bridges are a necessity.  In 1854, the railroad reached Rock Island and in 1856, the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi was built here, connecting Rock Island, Illinois, with Davenport, Iowa.  The bridge was made primarily of wood and had five fixed spans, each with a flat top and each 250 feet long.  The draw, or swing, span was 286 feet long and located near the middle of the river.  At the time, it was the longest swing span in the world.

old painting of first wooden railroad bridge across river

The new wooden railroad bridge was struck by a steamboat, the Effie Afton, soon after its completion, setting off a major conflict between steamboat and railroad interests that ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court and the outcome was in favor of the railroad.  

double decker bridge with swingspan over river at sunset

The bridge’s replacement, completed in 1866, was probably the last Mississippi River bridge to have been constructed largely with wood.  It only lasted six years before a new double-decker structure was completed.  Then a steel structure was completed in 1896.  The Government bridge was the first bridge designed by Ralph Modjeski, the man who went on to become “America’s Greatest Bridge Builder.”  The double-decker bridge has double railroad tracks on top and vehicle traffic underneath.  The swingspan opens to accommodate boats/barges going up and down river.  It weighs 1,250 tons and it is the only one like it in the world.

The next-oldest bridge in the QC is a railroad-only bridge constructed in 1899 that is just downriver from the Centennial Bridge.  The Crescent Bridge takes its name from the unusual curve it makes as it approaches the Illinois shore. 

bridge over river at sunset

Named for the City of Rock Island’s centennial, the silver Centennial Bridge opened in 1940 as the first four-lane highway bridge on the Mississippi.  The five arches are to symbolize the five largest cities in the Quad Cities’ family of communities.  Lights were added to the arches in 1988 making for a popular nighttime QC photo. In 2017, the bridge was officially renamed as the Master Sgt. Stanley Talbot Memorial Bridge, although it is still referred to as the Centennial bridge.

sunset of river with bridge in the background

Near the geographic center of the Quad Cities, the Iowa–Illinois Memorial Bridge or “I-74 bridge” between Moline and Bettendorf was also designed by Ralph Modjeski.  Originally opened in 1935 as a single suspension bridge, it became the only double suspension bridge on the Mississippi River when a nearly identical suspension bridge was constructed in 1961 aside and connected to the 1935 bridge to ease traffic concerns. 

The I-74 bridge is the most traveled bridge in the QC.  A ground-breaking ceremony for the new bridge was held in 2017 and the new bridge was completed in December 2021.  The new bridge is the biggest and most visible transportation construction project in Quad Cities history.  The $1.2 billion project had the final design completed by Modjeski and Masters (yes, the same Modjeski!) in association with Alfred Benesch & Company.

The new bridge is just upstream of the existing bridge and is a basket-handle, true-arch twin bridge with four lanes in each direction and a separate pedestrian/bicycle path with an observation point in the middle of the bridge on the downriver span.  Color-changing LED lights are installed on the new bridge.  The color-changing lighting are operated by the cities of Moline and Bettendorf.

 interstate bridge with large blue arch over river

There are two other interstate bridges in the region.  The I-280 bridge, or Sergeant John F. Baker Jr. Bridge, is a rather large tied steel arch.  It opened in 1973.  They call this style a tied arch because each arch has its ends tied together by a steel frame member that runs the length of the roadway under the arch.

The Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge is a 4-lane steel girder bridge that carries Interstate 80 across the Mississippi River.  The process is in motion to build a new I-80 bridge over the Mississippi River within the next 10 years.  You can keep up with information about the project at https://www.i80mississippibridge.com/

One bridge is going to be very different from another depending on its design, length, size, etc.  Try to get a different view of our bridges than just from the car window.  You’ll be able to see in them all of their awesome characteristics.

Thank you to Curt Roseman for his local bridge expertise for this post.  To learn the history of even more bridges in the QC, check out the book, Historic Bridges of the Quad Cities, by Curtis Roseman and Robert Replinger.