Finally! A bridge to somewhere.

The spacious (14 feet wide!), roughly half-mile long trail along the west side of the I-74 bridge connects the Iowa riverfront trails to the Illinois riverfront trails. It opened late last month and is already attracting plenty of visitors.

By Alan Sivell

Apparently, if you build it, they will come.

Although, not always. Before the I-74 bridge build, the most recent local bridge was Davenport’s “Bridge to Nowhere.” And it did exactly what its nickname said: It went nowhere.

Riding the river hasn’t always been as easy as it sounds

Admittedly, the ability to ride a bike across the Mississippi is nothing new. It has been possible for years on the Centennial Bridge.

I tried it. Once.

It was scary.

The path is too narrow, with barely enough room for a rider to pass another person. And on your bike, you sit higher than the bridge rails so it’s easy to imagine (for me, at least) accidentally falling over them into the river below. 

The Government Bridge is only slightly better. There, I don’t worry about getting tossed into the river, but it’s also very narrow. Any joy of my ride is temporarily suspended until I get to the other side. 

Now, thankfully, there’s a new bridge to cross. And it’s a crossing that won’t fill runners/walkers and bikers with dread.

Parking near the trail and then trying to get on can be a bit tricky, but certainly, it’s not insurmountable. Once around a few blocks and a couple of extra stoplights and I found a spot near the Iowa side starting point. It’s slightly easier getting on if you are already on one of the riverfront trails on either side of the river. 

Riding the bridge trail itself is smooth. The fresh pour of concrete makes the gentle incline on the first half of the crossing easy. I felt safe as the railings on either side were easily as high as my shoulders when I was seated on my bike. The second half of the ride is all downhill and it affords you an opportunity to look around a bit.

It’s a new way to see the Mississippi River … and our community

The scariest thing I saw was the old I-74 bridge. Looking at its crumbling, discolored concrete and rusty undergirdings from the vantage point of the new bridge, it’s a wonder it has stood so long. And it’s a wonder so many of us were able to survive crossing it.

Goodbye and good riddance.

Now, this new path is not a bucolic walk in the park. It’s a bit like riding your bike across a parking lot. There are no opportunities for shade (how could there be?). There are cars and trucks zipping by at 55 mph just on the other side of the concrete barrier. Just kidding. There are cars and semis zipping by at 65 and 70 mph and beyond just on the other side of the concrete barrier.

The noise as you ride alongside trucks as they downshift for the bridge incline can get loud. And  the howl of the wind can add to that cacophony. But, happily, on the downward side, you don’t notice the noise of the engines groaning.

Some billed the bridge in downtown Davenport as a tourist attraction. But who would point their car to the Quad Cities to go … nowhere?

Now, however, we have a more realistic tourist attraction. A bridge that actually goes somewhere. A bridge worth crossing.

Again and again.

By Alan Sivell

Apparently, if you build it, they will come.

Although, not always. Before the I-74 bridge build, the most recent local bridge was Davenport’s “Bridge to Nowhere.” And it did exactly what its nickname said: It went nowhere.

Riding the river hasn’t always been as easy as it sounds

Admittedly, the ability to ride a bike across the Mississippi is nothing new. It has been possible for years on the Centennial Bridge.

I tried it. Once.

It was scary.

The path is too narrow, with barely enough room for a rider to pass another person. And on your bike, you sit higher than the bridge rails so it’s easy to imagine (for me, at least) accidentally falling over them into the river below.

The Government Bridge is only slightly better. There, I don’t worry about getting tossed into the river, but it’s also very narrow. Any joy of my ride is temporarily suspended until I get to the other side.

Now, thankfully, there’s a new bridge to cross. And it’s a crossing that won’t fill runners/walkers and bikers with dread.

Parking near the trail and then trying to get on can be a bit tricky, but certainly, it’s not insurmountable. Once around a few blocks and a couple of extra stoplights and I found a spot near the Iowa side starting point. It’s slightly easier getting on if you are already on one of the riverfront trails on either side of the river.

Riding the bridge trail itself is smooth. The fresh pour of concrete makes the gentle incline on the first half of the crossing easy. I felt safe as the railings on either side were easily as high as my shoulders when I was seated on my bike. The second half of the ride is all downhill and it affords you an opportunity to look around a bit.

It’s a new way to see the Mississippi River … and our community

The scariest thing I saw was the old I-74 bridge. Looking at its crumbling, discolored concrete and rusty undergirdings from the vantage point of the new bridge, it’s a wonder it has stood so long. And it’s a wonder so many of us were able to survive crossing it.

Goodbye and good riddance.

Now, this new path is not a bucolic walk in the park. It’s a bit like riding your bike across a parking lot. There are no opportunities for shade (how could there be?). There are cars and trucks zipping by at 55 mph just on the other side of the concrete barrier. Just kidding. There are cars and semis zipping by at 65 and 70 mph and beyond just on the other side of the concrete barrier.

The noise as you ride alongside trucks as they downshift for the bridge incline can get loud. And  the howl of the wind can add to that cacophony. But, happily, on the downward side, you don’t notice the noise of the engines groaning.

Some billed the bridge in downtown Davenport as a tourist attraction. But who would point their car to the Quad Cities to go … nowhere?

Now, however, we have a more realistic tourist attraction. A bridge that actually goes somewhere. A bridge worth crossing.

Again and again.