Tours show off $322M Iowa-Illinois bridge construction

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) - Iowa Department of Transportation officials are giving tours of the $322 million bridge being built to connect Bettendorf to Moline, Illinois.

Danielle Alvarez is project manager of the new Interstate 74 bridge. Alvarez tells the Quad-City Times that she recently led a tour aboard a ferryboat on the Mississippi River for residents interested in the bridge construction. Alvarez covered the planning, design and ongoing buildout of the bridge featuring two four-lane spans.

The bridge is a primary piece of the $1.2 billion Interstate 74 corridor project.

Residents reserved their seats on the tour months in advance. The tour organized by River Action Inc. has become a popular attraction. River Action Program Manager Laura Morris said the group added four additional outings in September, which sold out in about a week.

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Information from: Quad-City Times, http://www.qctimes.com