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Concept Alternatives – Developed in July 2001
The
I-74 project team has completed an evaluation of transportation problems
and deficiencies along I-74 and has developed four concept alternatives for improving
travel through the corridor (see
Key Map). The concept alternatives include the following improvements
to I-74 and connecting arterial roadways.
- I-74 would be reconstructed and widened
to six lanes (three lanes in each direction) from south of
the 23rd Avenue interchange in Illinois to the U.S. 6 interchange in
Iowa. Also, additional auxiliary lanes would be provided between
23rd Avenue and 7th Avenue (northbound and southbound), 6th Avenue
and Middle Road (northbound), and 6th Avenue and Grant Street
(southbound). North of U.S. 6, the existing four lane facility
(two lanes in each direction) would be maintained.
- Existing bridges, including the
Mississippi River structures, would be reconstructed and widened
to match the proposed roadway improvements. Existing overhead
structures would be modified, as appropriate, to accommodate the
proposed widening along I-74.
- I-74 would be realigned in the vicinity of
the Mississippi River. Three alignment alternatives have been
developed for this area.
- Existing interchanges at 23rd Avenue, 7th
Avenue, River Drive, State Street/Grant Street, Kimberly Road,
Middle Road, U.S. 6 (Spruce Hills Road/Kimberly Road), and 53rd
Street would be improved to update the design and enhance access
to adjacent communities. Multiple interchange improvement
alternatives have been developed and are illustrated on the
graphics at the end of this section.
- Connecting arterial roadways adjacent to the I-74 interchanges
would be widened and improved to enhance travel flow.
Concept alternatives were developed through a series of workshops
with the Iowa and Illinois DOTs, Federal Highway Administration,
and involved municipalities. During these workshops, possible river
crossing location options, interchange options, and lane requirements
for the roadway were identified and explored. Viable options for
the I-74 corridor were then combined to create the concept alternatives
(See Development of Concept
Alternatives for an illustration).
As you review the concept alternatives, please note the following issues.
- The alternatives represent only the approximate location and configuration of
roadway improvement alternatives. In the next steps of this study,
the proposed roadway improvements will be refined and adjusted.
- The interchange and alignment alternatives have been combined
for ease of presentation to illustrate four "complete"
alternatives (Alternative I, Alternative II, Alternative III,
and Alternative IV). However, the elements (i.e., interchange
and alignment options) of the concept alternatives are interchangeable.
As an example, the river crossing location of Alternative I could
be combined with the interchanges in downtown Moline and Bettendorf
identified in Alternative II.
- A final decision regarding the proposed corridor sizing has not been made at this stage of project development. Rather, the proposed corridor sizing was used as the basis of analysis of potential environmental consequences.
Following are nine graphics
depicting the concept alternatives. The project study area has been split
into the following four segments to illustrate the
proposed improvement alternatives under consideration (moving from 23rd Avenue in Illinois to the
north along I-74).
- South Segment (south of 23rd Ave. to south of 19th Ave.):
Alternative I
- Central Segment (south of 19th Ave. to approximately Lincoln Rd.):
Alternatives I,
II, III,
and IV
- Near North Segment
(Lincoln Rd. to north of U.S. 6 interchange): Alternatives
I and II
- Far North Segment (north of U.S. 6 interchange to north of the
53rd Street interchange): Alternatives
I and II
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