Log In or Register
This is 1 of two bridges that are indicative of home to me. The Centennial Bridge, or Rock Island Centennial Bridge, connects Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. The bridge is 3,850 feet (1,173 m) long and stands 170 feet (52 m) above water level. In 1988, lights were installed on the arches. Construction of the bridge began in 1938 and it opened on July 12, 1940 as a toll bridge. The bridge cost $1.75 million to construct. The original toll was $0.10, and eventually rose to $0.50 for automobiles (and as high as $2.00 for semi-trucks). The tolls were removed from the bridge on May 2, 2003. On that day, a ceremony was held to commemorate the occasion and to honor the toll workers and all of those who had worked for the bridge during the toll era. The five arches of the bridge are a symbol often used to represent the Quad Cities. The two largest arches symbolize Rock Island and Davenport while the smaller ones represent the other surrounding Quad-Cities(Bettendorf, Moline, and East Moline). Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport is located just upriver from the bridge. On the Rock Island side, "The District," the nightlife hub of the Quad Cities, is located about one block east of the bridge. The Dohrn Transfer Company of Rock Island, the first official toll-paying vehicle to cross the bridge in 1949, was the last official patron of the bridge.