If you're a little confused today while driving around Davenport, you're not the only one.
Between detours and road closures, a major makeover is taking place at the 53rd Street and Interstate 74 Interchange. On Friday, June 15th, crews opened two loops that are now the on-ramps for drivers to get onto I-74. Instead of using a left-turn lane, drivers can now enter the interstate for either direction on the right.
Mark Brandl, Resident Construction Engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation, says no left-hand turns will keep traffic moving because drivers won't have to sit in a lane and wait or cross in front of oncoming traffic.
He says to look for the signs to help you and also pay attention to where the lanes are as they shift.
"There's a lot of cones out there that might confuse them but drive slowly, and keep their eyes open," says Brandl. "Don't text. Don't call through that intersection. Just be cautious."
Brandl says work on the 53rd Street/I-74 Interchange should be complete by the end of 2012, but there will be plenty of lane closures and construction cones until that point. This is the second project on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River that is being done in preparation for the new I-74 Bridge. The first was the reconstruction of the Lincoln Road Overpass.