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The Rock Island Centennial Bridge, officially the Master Sargeant Stanley W. Talbot Memorial Bridge, connects 
On September 4, 1988, 128 sodium lamps were installed on the arches, making the bridge a scenic sight at night. River Action Inc. raised funds for the lighting project through their initiative "Lights! River! Action!".
On July 13, 2005, the city of Rock Island transferred ownership of the bridge to the
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Arsenal Island. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 census. Located on t ...
, and Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and ...
. The bridge is long and stands above water level.
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. It was designed by Ash-Howard-Needles & Tammen and built by the American Bridge Company, McCarthy Improvement Company, and Priester Construction Company. The original toll was $0.10, and eventually rose to $0.50 for automobiles (and as high as $2.00 for semi-trucks). Early in the bridge's history, pedestrians paid a $0.05 walker's fee; this fee ended in 1960. The tolls for motorists ended 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 bridge had been under the management of Sue Nelson before going toll-free. 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.
On September 4, 1988, 128 sodium lamps were installed on the arches, making the bridge a scenic sight at night. River Action Inc. raised funds for the lighting project through their initiative "Lights! River! Action!".
On July 13, 2005, the city of Rock Island transferred ownership of the bridge to the Illinois Department of Transportation
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is a state agency in charge of state-maintained public roadways of the U.S. state of Illinois. In addition, IDOT provides funding for rail, public transit and airport projects and administers f ...
after the completion of a project costing over $11 million in structural upgrades to the bridge.
It was originally going to be named the Galbraith Bridge, after Rock Island's mayor at the time, Robert Galbraith. He suggested it be named the Centennial Bridge, in commemoration of the city of Rock Island's centennial. In 2017, the bridge was officially renamed as the Master Sgt. Stanley Talbot Memorial Bridge.
The five arches of the bridge are a symbol often used to represent the Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...
. 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
Modern Woodmen Park (known previously as John O'Donnell Stadium and Municipal Stadium) is a minor league baseball venue located in Davenport, Iowa. It is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Roya ...
in Davenport is just upriver from the bridge. On the Rock Island side, "The District," the nightlife hub of the Quad Cities, is about one block east of the bridge.
See also
* * * * *List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River
This is a list of all current and notable former bridges or other crossings of the Upper Mississippi River which begins at the Mississippi River's source and extends to its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois.
Crossings Minnesot ...
*List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Illinois
This is a list of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in the U.S. state of Illinois.
Bridges
Notes
References
{{HAER list, structure=bridge
*List
*List
Illinois
Bridges
Bridges
A bridge is a structure b ...
*List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Iowa
__NOTOC__
This is a list of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in the U.S. state of Iowa.
Bridges
Notes
References
{{HAER list, structure=bridge
*List
*List
Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Mi ...
References
External links
* {{Authority control Through arch bridges in the United States Bridges over the Mississippi River Road bridges in Illinois Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Bridges completed in 1940 Transportation in Davenport, Iowa Buildings and structures in Rock Island, Illinois Tourist attractions in the Quad Cities Buildings and structures in Davenport, Iowa Bridges in Rock Island County, Illinois Bridges in Scott County, Iowa Bridges in the Quad Cities Road bridges in Iowa U.S. Route 67 Former toll bridges in Illinois Former toll bridges in Iowa Steel bridges in the United States Historic American Engineering Record in Illinois Historic American Engineering Record in Iowa Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States