Work on the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge project between Bettendorf, Iowa and Moline, Illinois has been suspended after at least one project worker reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a report from WQAD-TV, project officials have stated that contractor Lunda Construction is suspending bridge construction operations for the remainder of the week as a precaution. Reports say work is expected to continue the week of March 30.
According to a report from The Dispatch-Argus, a business manager for a Rock Island-based union connected to the project said he was notified Monday that the 40 ironworkers currently on the job from his union should not report to work for at least a week as part of the project-wide shutdown. The same report says that a second worker is being put under quarantine and awaiting a test result.
According to the project's website, the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge project is part of a regional strategy for improving access across the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities. It includes the replacement of the I-74 twin bridges over the Mississippi River, interchange ramp reconfigurations, and interstate and local roadway improvements. Construction began in July 2017 and is anticipated to be completed in 2021.
Local reports say it is too early to determine if the impacts of COVID-19 will have any effect on the completion date for the bridge project.
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SOURCE: WQAD-TV / The Dispatch-Argus / I-74 Mississippi River Bridge
