BETTENDORF, Iowa — The keystone piece to the first arch of the new I-74 bridge is now in place, but it's not done yet.
Iowa DOT project manager, Danielle Alvarez, says crews will take the next few days to secure the middle piece with more than 1,000 bolts.The bolts will help make sure the keystone piece is aligned with the other four corners of the arch. The piece is more than 200 feet in the sky and weighs around 200,000 pounds.
With around 12 workers in the air, crews installed the 37 foot long piece with a crowd watching.
"We've watched it since the beginning," onlooker Dick Curry said." I've seen a lot of things change over the years. It's been an interesting time."
The construction site usually has on lookers, some even come everyday.
"We don't know each others names, we don`t need to," onlooker Tom Whitehouse said. "We just visit, talk, watch and then leave."
"When you go by it quickly, it's hard to see some of the stuff going on," onlooker Bonnie Busch said. "When you sit here and study it, there`s a lot going on."
Some of the crowd was just watching for the arch installment.
"I think this is a day that everyone is really excited for in the community," Iowa DOT Project manager Danielle Alvarez said. "As well as the crews out there working hard.It was a critical milestone in construction and we are happy that we got a great day out here to see that to come to life."
"Something that is done in a day doesn`t have the same monumental benchmark this does," Busch said.
Alvarez says securing the piece will take the next few days.
"You can't see a lot from down here, but up there they are stuffing bolts and making more adjustments," Alvarez said.
The Mississippi River will be closed for three-days as the arch is secured in place.