Three years ago, when I wrote about Cedar Rapids wanting to replace the Eighth Avenue bridge, I cited a 2019 Gazette story that mentioned an estimated cost of around $30 million for the bridge and $50 million overall.
Last week, Cedar Rapids got a crucial amount of federal money to build a new bridge. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is providing $56.4 million of a $76.1 million overall estimated cost, the Gazette reports. The new bridge, rather than being supported by multiple piers underneath, would be a cable-stayed bridge with one pier going into the water that also towers high in the air.