Interstate 74 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 I-74 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Iowa DOT | ||||
| Length | 5.36 mi[2] (8.63 km) | |||
| Existed | August 30, 1968[1]–present | |||
| History | Under construction 1968–1974 | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  I-80 in Davenport | |||
| ||||
| East end |   I-74 / US 6 at the Mississippi River | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Iowa | |||
| Counties | Scott | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
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Interstate 74 (I-74) is the central freeway through the Iowa Quad Cities. It roughly divides Davenport to the west and Bettendorf to the east. The Interstate Highway begins at an interchange with I-80 at the northeastern edge of Davenport and continues into Illinois at the Mississippi River by crossing the I-74 Bridge. The freeway was built in stages during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The northern half of the Interstate was built atop farmland in northeastern Davenport, while the southern half was built near the existing U.S. Highway 6 (US 6) corridor through Bettendorf. After the approaches to the I-74 Bridge were rebuilt for Interstate traffic, it was completed and opened to traffic on November 26, 1974.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) are planning a major reconstruction project along I-74. The seven-mile-long (11 km) corridor will be widened from four lanes to six. A new river crossing will be built to replace the aging bridges. Eastbound motorists on I-80 wishing to use I-74 east of the Quad Cities are suggested to use I-80 east around town for this reason.
- ^ Completion Map of Interstate System (PDF) (Map). Iowa Department of Transportation. January 1, 1982. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 25, 2023.