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New I-74 bridge to open before 2022, public invited to Dec. 1 celebration

With the full opening of the new I-74 bridge approaching, a public ceremony will be held letting attendees take their first steps on the bridge before everyone else.

MOLINE, Illinois — Officials have revealed revealed an opening timeframe for the new I-74 bridge, and the public is invited to celebrate it.

Bridge officials, in conjunction with the Illinois and Iowa departments of transportation, Federal Highway Administration and the Quad Cities communities, announced they they anticipate the bridge fully opening to Illinois-bound traffic in early December.

They also announced a public opening celebration taking place from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 1, allowing attendees to be the first to set foot on the bridge before its opening.

The ceremony is accessible ONLY from the Moline side of the bridge. Pedestrians can enter at the River Drive ramp, and there is free parking and limited shuttle service 12:30 p.m. at the TaxSlayer Center.

Officials remind attendees to dress for the weather, adding that there will still be a small walk from the shuttle drop-off to the bridge.

The new bridge, which has been constructed over the course of about 4.5 years, features a significantly wider space, with four lanes in each direction, as well as new pedestrian and bike paths.

WATCH: Plans for the old I-74 bridge

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