It's not often that a bridge...gets an award, but one Illinois bridge that spans the Mississippi River is up for a prestigious national trophy.

Get our free mobile app

America's Transportation Awards says that it "recognizes the best in transportation". They have 12 finalists for the 2022 version of this competition between structures that help us get from here to there. Of the dozen that are up for the best bridge in America, there's only one in the tri-state area and that's the The Memorial Bridge, Interstate 74 Mississippi River Crossing Project. This is the new bridge connecting Illinois to Iowa in the Quad Cities region.

Recently, a man took his drone to play around near this fancy bridge.

The iconic arches in the middle definitely give this bridge a unique look. Considering how much traffic crosses this span daily, it's good they made the lanes as wide as they did. According to Modeski and Masters, the final design for this bridge was done by the Alfred Benesch design team. Considering I got a D in physics in high school (true story), I can only stand in awe of engineering like this.

The good news is that you have a say in who wins this national transportation award. You can vote for the I-74 bridge on the official America's Transportation Awards website or whatever structure you choose. My opinion is it would be a good thing to draw some national attention to our part of the middle part of America. Bring that bridge trophy home, I-74 span.

Extravagant Illinois Airbnb Has a Basketball Court and Theater

See Inside a Ritzy Branson Treehouse for the Rich & Famous

More From KICK FM, #1 For New Country