I-74 Mississippi River Bridge Named Top Project by MAASTO in 2022
AMES, IA — I-74 over the Mississippi River received top honors from the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) as part of the organization’s annual conference this year. The competition, which is part of the America’s Transportation Awards contest, recognizes transportation projects based on three distinct categories. I-74 was selected as the regional winner in the category of Quality of Life/Community Development.
Projects in this category are evaluated based on their ability to provide innovative solutions for connecting communities with businesses, jobs, health care facilities and recreational activities—all while encouraging a mix of transportation modes.
Regional winners from across the country—including I-74—will vie for national recognition at this year’s American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) conference in October.
More about I-74
Fully opened to the public in December 2021, the I-74 project was a joint effort between the Iowa and Illinois DOTs and has significantly improved mobility for more than 400,000 residents in the Quad Cities. At a cost of approximately $1 billion, the I-74 Central Section Corridor project is the largest ever to be let by the Iowa DOT. The corridor comprises dozens of new bridges, six reconfigured interchanges, widened and reconstructed interstate roadway, and several miles of local roadway improvements. The iconic Mississippi River crossing also features a fully accessible pedestrian structure with scenic overlooks.
Benesch has played a significant role in this project since 2009, serving as Corridor-Wide Coordinator on behalf of the Iowa and Illinois DOTs and leading design plans for the extended Central Sections of the project, which included the substructures that support the twin arch superstructure (designed by Modjeski & Masters) as well as the approach span superstructures and substructures at either end of the bridge.
Benesch also provided lighting design and oversaw the subconsultant in charge of aesthetic lighting on the bridge.
