Rock River bridge a Q-C connector

If you've shied away from moving or doing business south of the Rock River because it seems too far from the rest of the Quad-Cities, that's likely to change in the next century.

The proposed $37 million West Rock River Bridge connecting Milan and Moline is expected to make that area grow in population, businesses, jobs and homes. The state of Illinois expects the bridge will be finished by 2005, or 2006 at the latest.

The Bi-State Regional Commission's 1996 long-range transportation plan projected 4,000 to 5,000 jobs would be created south of the Rock River by the year 2020, according to planning director Denise Bulat. Those jobs are likely to reflect the national trend away from smokestack factories and toward light assembly, warehousing and retail, she said.

Some of the new jobs will be in Milan and Rock Island's industrial parks, where development is expected to continue to grow and expand beyond them, Ms. Bulat said.

The bridge will be a ``very important'' element in the logical flow of traffic from the south to the already developed parts of the Illinois Quad-Cities, she said.

Bi-State estimates 34,00 vehicles will cross the bridge daily by 2020. The state, however, estimates 52,000 crossings. Of all Quad-Cities bridges, only the Interstate 74 bridge between Moline and Davenport approaches that volume.

The bridge also will expand the world of walkers and bicyclists, who will be able to cross the river on a 12-foot-wide pedestrian and bike path attached to the downstream, or west side of the bridge. The state will pay for the $2 million bike path, according to Illinois Department of Transportation engineer John Wagmeyer.

``We think it will be a good situation,'' he said. ``It will be safer to get across the river on a bike path behind a concrete barrier than walking across the bridge.''

Local governments are expected to build connections from the ends of the bridge to existing bike paths.

``This is so preliminary in scope that no cost or footage estimates have been made,'' Ms. Bulat said. ``We have five years to work on it. The money is available from federal and state sources, so we could have the connections ready when the bridge opens.''

The city of Rock Island is pleased the bridge will connect another link to its southwest part of town.

It will make it easier for people who live there to get to shopping areas and north of the Rock River, according to community and economic development director Greg Champagne.

The bridge is playing a part as Rock Island plans the future of southwest Rock Island, he said. Other considerations, he said, including where the city wants new houses, industries and commercial buildings and how to tie them to existing developments are just as important.

If population grows enough in southwest Rock Island, expansion of two elementary schools, Ridgewood in Rock Island and Thomas Jefferson in Milan, are possible, Mr. Champagne said. Building a third elementary school also would be an option, he said.

Along with the bridge, improvements are planned for Airport Road and the ramps to Interstate 280. Those projects are not expected to be completed before 2006, according to IDOT project manager Deana Hermes. Airport Road will be widened east of U.S 67 to four lanes and a center median. Traffic on Airport Road will likely be reduced because plans call for the Milan Beltway to go over Airport Road with ramp access.

The West Rock River Bridge has been planned for more than 30 years, Ms. Bulat said. It originally was intended to reduce traffic through Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island, according to Bi-State director Gary Vallem. Over the past 10 years, he said, it has been viewed as an economic stimulator.

``To finally see it come to fruition is a great thing,'' she said. ``The new bridge will benefit the entire Quad-Cities area.''