MOLINE, Ill. — President of the Quad Cities Bicycle Club, Dave Ring, said it didn't take long for club members to support the idea of the "Bison Bridge".
It is the idea of environmental activist Chad Pregracke, who wants to turn the I-80 bridge into a wildlife crossing and pedestrian bridge, if and when the stretch is ever replaced with a new bridge.
"What that does for us is give us additional opportunities for rides because we can ride from here [in] Bettendorf up to LeClaire, cross the bridge, come back on the Illinois side and do a loop ride for about 40 miles.” President Ring said.
The current path bikers take to cross the river isn’t the safest, as many ride alongside the highway.
"Highway-67, for experienced cyclers, it isn’t too bad. The shoulder is paved, but you wouldn’t take a family with small kids on Highway-67. If they extended the trail you certainly might ride back with the kids for a picnic or something like that on the bridge, there are so many possibilities."
No final decisions have been made about the bridge.