QUAD CITIES-- Crews have installed the 19th steel arch segment on the I-74 bridge.
This new segment is on the Illinois side of the arch. Crews expect to install the next arch segment within the next week.
- We kicked off the new year with a new arch segment! On the morning of Monday, January 6 we installed the 19th steel arch segment. It was installed on the Illinois-side of the arch. Each segment is secured with almost 2,000 bolts.
- There are a total of 30 arch segments and 4 struts for the Iowa-bound bridge arch. A strut is a permanent steel crossbeam placed between the arches to provide support. We’ve installed 19 of 30 arch segments (so 11 more to go) and 1 of 4 struts (3 more to go).
- Steel cable stays are installed to allow us to adjust the angle and position of the arch. Crews survey the arch prior to another segment being added and tension the stays to get the arch in the right position. Installing the cable stays did take some time last year. All the stays on the Iowa-side of the arch are complete and we’ll be installing the last set of stays on the Illinois-side after the next arch segment is installed.
The team hopes to open the Iowa bound bridge to traffic in the second half of 2020.