IDOT: Rock River bridge won’t open until spring

Font Size:

By Barb Ickes | Wednesday, November 15, 2006 1:08 AM CST | () comments

This section of the new 52nd Avenue in Moline near the West Rock River bridge is now open. (Larry Fisher/QUAD-CITY TIMES)

Although the span itself has been finished for more than a year, Quad-Citians must wait another season before crossing the new $70 million bridge connecting Rock Island and Milan.

A number of factors, including an early cold snap, are being blamed for the delays in opening the West Rock River Bridge, also dubbed Veteran’s Memorial Bridge at Carr’s Crossing.

Under state deadlines, contractors were supposed to be finished with the bridge by Nov. 1. When the deadline came and went, some penalties were assessed while other delays were forgiven. The plan now is to make the existing approaches as safe as possible throughout the winter and make the bridge passable in the spring.

“Our plan right now is to not open the bridge this fall,” said John Wegmeyer, project implementation engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation. “It’s very possible, if we wanted to, we could open the bridge to northbound traffic.

“But that can be even more confusing.”

Instead, contractors and the state are focusing on arterial roads surrounding the bridge, including the heavily traveled Blackhawk Road in Rock Island. In fact, motorists recently were given first-time access to the new 52nd Avenue, which runs east to SouthPark Mall in Moline.

Eastbound traffic was shifted to 52nd Avenue while pavement is replaced at Blackhawk Road.

“It is planned to have two lanes of traffic in both directions open before work is suspended for the winter,” Wegmeyer said of Blackhawk Road. “We want to eliminate any drop-offs and get the roads in shape for winter plowing.”

Unseasonably cool temperatures contributed to construction delays, state officials said. Concrete could not be poured in late October and early November because high temperatures were not consistently above 40 degrees — the desirable temperature for pouring concrete.

Greg Hass, co-owner of the main contracting firm on the bridge, Valley Construction, said two weeks ago that he remained hopeful the bridge would open by December. Wegmeyer did not share his optimism.

“It’s not going to happen,” he said. “Completion of the project and opening the river bridge will be dependent on how soon work can resume next spring.”

Bridge construction schedule, costs

The span: Work began on the span over the Rock River in March 2004. The state bid for the first phase of construction was let for $16 million. All 1,682 feet of steel on the span, connecting John Deere Road in Moline with the Beltway in Milan, were in place by the spring of 2005.

South interchange: Work began on the approaches in Milan, including the Milan Beltway, in October 2004. The cost of the second phase of construction was $19.4 million.

North interchange: Work began on the approaches and intersections in Rock Island in May 2005. The cost for phase three was $14.3 million. All phases were to be completed by Nov. 1.

Land acquisition and engineering: Preparation for bridge construction, including engineering and design work and the purchase of land began several years ago. The estimated cost is $15 million to $20 million.

Total project cost: $65 million to $70 million.

Barb Ickes can be contacted at (563) 383-2316 or bickes@qctimes.com.