The future of the Centennial Bridge spanning Rock Island and Davenport will soon take center stage.
A public meeting to discuss the bridge project – and perhaps the construction of a new bridge to replace the aging Centennial – is set for 2-6 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Holiday Inn Rock Island, 226 17th St.
“This meeting is an opportunity for the communities to learn about the project, ask questions, and share input on the future of this critical regional connection,” Trisha Thompson, an engineer with the Illinois Department of Transportation, (IDOT) wrote in a recent letter to members of the Davenport City Council.
She added that the Centennial Bridge is an 85-year-old structure that requires ongoing maintenance and costly repairs. A study of the bridge is intended to determine the best path forward in consideration of safety, accessibility, design, community needs, and environmental impacts.
Michael Kuehn, IDOT’s studies and plans engineer, told the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal that the meeting is designed to get public input on the bridge project. The meeting will be an open house format.
He added that in the next few days, IDOT plans to create a webpage to keep the public updated on the Centennial Bridge project. When created, that website will be part of IDOT’s existing featured projects website. The Centennial Bridge page is expected to be operational before the April 17 meeting, Mr. Kuehn said.
The bridge project currently has a $300 million budget, but that number is likely to go up, Mr. Kuehn added.
“Illinois currently has an anticipated $300 million associated with possible remediation of the bridge structure in the multi-year program until further development of the Phase I and alternatives have been vetted and assessed,” he said in an email to the QCBJ on Monday, March 31.
IDOT officials provided an update on the bridge project to the Davenport City Council during a Tuesday, Feb. 18 meeting.
Engineers told the council that it’s possible a new bridge could replace Centennial in about eight years. Mr. Kuehn said construction work might begin in 2029 or 2030, and a new bridge be completed by about 2033.
However, engineers added during the council’s meeting that the bridge process is just getting started and it’s far too early to predict a completion date.
The project will include three phases:
- Phase One: Preliminary engineering and an environmental study. This will also include the formation of stakeholder meetings, a community advisory group, a technical advisory group, a public hearing and four public meetings. In this phase, the study also will consider improved bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. Also, a project website is scheduled to be launched in late March. This phase, which has just begun, will last about 30 months.
- Phase Two: Includes contract plan preparation and land acquisition. This phase will last about two years.
- Phase Three: This is the construction phase that could start as early as 2029.
- Funding: A cost estimate is not available. During the February presentation, Mr. Kuehn told the council that funding would come from Iowa, Illinois and federal sources. He added that Illinois is taking the lead on the project.
- Other factors: Transportation leaders told the council that possible alternative routes for a new bridge will consider a number of factors including: social and economic factors; historic properties; noise; natural resources; and special lands, such as parks. Also, the bridge project needs to follow federal laws, such as the National Historic Preservation Act, and consider the effects of federally funded projects on historic properties.
“Public involvement is a key component of the project. In addition to public meetings, we are forming a Community Advisory Group (CAG) to help guide the planning process. The CAG will play a critical role in ensuring that varying perspectives and local priorities are incorporated into the project’s development,” Ms. Thompson stated in her recent letter.
