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Today in Interstate History

A bridge carrying I-80 across the Mississippi River between Le Claire, Iowa, and Rapids City, Illinois, was officially opened. Iowa Governor Harold Hughes proclaimed during the ceremony, "This is not the first bridge over the Father of Waters, but it is the greatest." The bridge, which is a vital link for the second-longest highway in the Interstate System, was named in honor of longtime U.S. Representative Fred Schwengel in 1984. Schwengel had represented the area of Davenport, Iowa, and was a strong supporter of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.