On Oct. 14, the Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an open-house public meeting to present the latest plans for the Mississippi River Bridge project.
In partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Illinois DOT will provide the public with its plans, discuss next steps and receive public feedback from 3 to 6 p.m. at the LeClaire City hall, 325 Wisconsin Street in LeClaire, IA. The project covers about 6 miles of interstate, from the I-88/I-80 interchange in East Moline to 35th Street SW in LeClaire. Residents and citizens are encouraged to attend to see how the selected alternative is taking shape, officials said. Attendees will be able to speak with project and land acquisition team members, and learn about efforts to protect endangered species, as well as to provide feedback.
Officials said the bridge required significant repairs and rehabilitation, and the project will help deal with recurring maintenance needs, safety concerns and outdated roadway features that require a more long-term solution. After more than five years of planning, engineering, environmental review and public input, the project is now at the final design phase. During the planning phase of the project, improvement alternatives for the bridge and corridor were presented. Those alternatives have also been presented and gathered more than 1,000 public comments. From the comments, an alternative for the final design was selected. The Oct. 14 meeting will give the public an inside look at that work, officials said, as plans move toward construction-ready design.