BETTENDORF-- On Thursday crews worked prepping pillars for concrete pouring. Even as winter approaches, construction on a new I-74 bridge will not stop.
"This is something that is going to be nationwide, nationally known," says Bettendorf Detective Keith Kimball.
The new bridge will be wider, three lanes in each direction, with a trail accessible to bikers and walkers.
Iowa DOT officials say that trail is the first of its kind in Iowa and possibly the nation, a bike path along an interstate bridge.
Scott Searle plans on taking advantage of that multiple times a week.
"You get such a view when you're on the Centennial Bridge, and I just can't wait to be able to see it from the I-74 bridge," says Searle.
"99-percent of the time it's going to be a positive thing," says Captain Kimball.
Police are excited for the path, but they say it does bring along added risk.
"There's that one-percent where it could lead to other things that could cause issues for us, having people go up there and do bad things," says Captain Kimball.
With more people on the bridge, police will have to change the way they respond to emergencies.
"We've had some safety meetings and been briefed on some of these things," says Captain Kimball.
In the months ahead as we watch the bridge being built, many of us will be looking forward to an easier commute, but others will see an opportunity like no other in the country.
The next step in construction will be putting up the foundation for the main bridge arches in the middle of the river. That will begin after Thanksgiving.
