Traffic Hot Spots: I

Jun 09, 2023

Group wants to reduce traffic in Omaha deaths to zero

State traffic engineers have closed one eastbound lane of Omaha’s historic Mormon Bridge on Interstate 680 indefinitely because of damage to the roadway.

The right (outside) lane on I-680 is closed from the 31st Street interchange east to the Iowa state line, about halfway across the bridge, said Barbara Gerbino-Bevins, district construction engineer for the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

The eastbound on-ramp to I-680 at 31st Street has also been shut down, she said.

The damage occurred on a rubber expansion joint at the west end of the bridge that is about 4 feet long and 18 inches to 2 feet wide.

The purpose of the flexible joints is to compensate for expansion and contraction of the bridge and the concrete roadbed with changing temperatures.

The ramp from North 31st Street to eastbound I-680 is closed, as is the right eastbound lane on the Mormon Bridge over the Missouri River while the Nebraska Department of Transportation repairs a damaged expansion joint at the west end of the bridge. NDOT officials say the closure could last until the end of the year.

Gerbino-Bevins said it’s not clear yet what caused the damage, which inspectors discovered July 18.

“It gets run over by traffic commonly, but it’s supposed to,” she said. “If it broke, it would feel like you hit a big bump.”

She said the westbound lanes, as well as the inside eastbound lane, are undamaged and revmain safe to drive on.

The cantilever bridge, officially named the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Bridge, was built in 1952 at a spot where Mormon settlers operated a ferry more than 100 years earlier that connected Pottawattamie County, Iowa, with Cutler’s Park in what later became the settlement of Florence.

Originally a toll bridge, it became part of the interstate highway system in 1979 after the construction of a second span to carry westbound traffic. The bridge underwent an $11 million refurbishment in 2018.

Engineers are still assessing the damage and drafting a repair plan. Gerbino-Bevins said the length of the closure will depend on the scope of the needed repairs, which isn’t yet known.

NDOT officials listed the completion date as Dec. 30 in their weekly highway construction and detour report on Thursday, but she said the work could finish sooner.

“I’m glad we caught it when we did, or it could have been a much larger fix,” she said.

Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction on North 72nd Street between Bedford Avenue and Pinkney Street until Aug. 17 because of a water main break.

Eastbound traffic on Fort Street between North 144th and North 140th Streets will be shifted to the center lane for street repair until Aug. 14.

Southbound traffic on South 108th Street will be shifted to the center lane at Prairie Hills Drive for utility work until Aug. 13.

South 42nd Street between Center Street and Mayberry Street will have various lane restrictions until Friday because of curb ramp construction.

Mary Street between North 28th Avenue and North 30th Street will be closed to through traffic for sewer repair until Aug. 16.

The Blondo Street on-ramp to southbound U.S. Highway 275 near Waterloo will be closed from 8 a.m. Monday to 4 p.m. Tuesday, weather permitting.

Charles Street between North 106th Street and North 107th Street will be closed for street panel replacement until Wednesday.

The eastbound lane of Martin Avenue between North 34th Street and North 30th Street will be closed for utility work until Aug. 22.

Poppleton Avenue between Loveland Drive and Ridgewood Avenue will be closed for street improvements until Aug. 24.

North 102nd Street between Franklin and Blondo Streets will be restricted to one lane northbound for street panel repair in the outside curb lane until Saturday.

F Street between South 67th Street and South 72nd Street will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Friday.

Varying lane restrictions are planned on Jones Street between South 19th and South 20th Streets until Aug. 14.

Cuming Street between the North Freeway and North 25th Avenue will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the eastbound lanes until Aug. 14.

Varying lane restrictions are planned on South 42nd Street between Grover Street and Center Street until Aug. 14 for street milling and paving.

Nebraska Highway 64 will be closed at mile marker 52.3 south of Leshara from 8 a.m. Thursday to 5 p.m. Friday for repairs to the BNSF railroad crossing at that location.

The U.S. Highway 136 bridge over the Missouri River in Brownville is closed for bridge construction from Main Street to the Missouri State Line until Aug. 13.

Intermittent lane and shoulder closures will take place on I-80 at the Giles Road, 84th Street, 72nd Street, 60th Street and 13th Street exits for a project to create accident investigation sites. Completion is expected in the fall.

Northwest (north of West Dodge Road and west of I-680)

Eagle Run Drive between North 140th Street and West Maple Road will have various lane restrictions for panel replacement until Sept. 19.

The 228th Street Bridge over Nebraska Link 28B (the western extension of the West Dodge Expressway) is reduced to one lane for bridge preservation and repairs through fall. A temporary traffic signal on either end of the bridge will control traffic.

Blondo Street between North 117th Street and Papillion Parkway will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Nov. 10.

The right lane of northbound 180th Street from Emmet Street to just north of Evans Street is closed until further notice to allow for construction of a right-turn lane into the new Costco warehouse store.

Expect lane restrictions on 156th Street south of Bennington Road near Kempten Creek Drive through mid-August. Lanes will be narrowed, and flaggers may be used at times.

State Street is closed from 156th to 147th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall.

Military Road from 168th Street to just west of 171st Street will be closed until early August to widen the road and add a right-turn lane at 171st Street.

Fort Street is closed from 183rd to 195th Streets due to grading and paving of the three-lane roadway until fall.

North 108th Street between Burt Circle and Decatur Street will be closed with local access only for street widening until November.

Northeast (north of Dodge Street and east of I-680)

Leavenworth Street between Saddle Creek Road and South 49th Street will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until Sept. 24.

Traffic in the southbound curb lane on North 16th Street and the northbound curb lane on North 17th Street will be shifted to the center lane between Cuming Street and Mike Fahey Street due to construction until Sept. 9.

The Parker Street bridge over U.S. Highway 75 (North Freeway) will be closed for road improvements and to repair and paint several bridge structures through September.

The right southbound lane of U.S. Highway 75/North Freeway at Weber Street is closed for road construction until Aug. 28.

Westbound Dodge Street between North 38th Avenue and North 41st Street will be restricted for building construction in the outside curb lane until Nov 7.

Dodge Street between North 72nd Street and North 76th Street/Rose Blumkin Drive will have varying lane restrictions for street improvements connected to the Crossroads redevelopment through December.

North 65th Avenue between Lake and Miami Streets will be closed until Aug. 30 for installation of storm sewers under Omaha’s “Clean Solutions for Omaha” program.

The intersection of North 18th and Grace Streets will be closed for sewer work until Nov. 28.

North 16th Street will be closed at various points between Pinkney and Clark Streets for CSO sewer separation improvements through August 2024. Truck detour routes will be posted.

Because of construction at the Kiewit corporate campus, North 15th Street between Cass and Mike Fahey Streets will be restricted to northbound traffic only until March 15, 2024. In addition, North 15th Street between Mike Fahey and California Streets will be restricted southbound, and Mike Fahey Street between North 16th and North 15th Streets will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane. North 16th Street between Cuming and Mike Fahey Streets will have restrictions in the southbound curb lane.

Grace Street between North 16th and North 18th Streets is closed for CSO storm sewer upgrades until Sept. 26.

Burt Street between North 25th Street and North 27th Plaza is closed until Aug. 31 for bridge construction.

Southwest (south of West Dodge Road and west of I-680/80)

South 156th Street between Pacific Street and Wycliffe Drive/Nottingham Drive will have closures for street widening until November.

Pacific Street between South 155th and South 157th Streets will have lane restrictions for street widening until November.

South 168th Street between Q Street and West Center Road will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024.

Southeast (south of Dodge Street and east of I-680/80)

Shoulder closures on the inside lane and occasional nighttime lane closures (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) will occur on I-480 from U.S. Highway 75/Kennedy Freeway to North 14th Street, I-80 from the Iowa state line to Nebraska Highway 370, and I-680 from West Dodge Road (Exit 3) to Blair High Road (Exit 6) until the end of August while workers seal concrete median barriers.

Nighttime lane closures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. are planned on the Kennedy Freeway (U.S. Highway 75) from the Interstate 480 interchange to Chandler Road, including entrance and exit ramps, to allow for milling and resurfacing of the roadway, through Oct. 31.

South 90th Street between Q Street and Lakeview Drive is restricted in the northbound lanes until Friday because of utility work by Metropolitan Utilities District.

South 48th Street between Howard and Leavenworth Streets will be closed for utility work until Sept. 5.

South 42nd Street between the I-80 eastbound exit ramp and D Street will be closed for bridge reconstruction until December.

14th Street will be closed between Farnam and Douglas Streets, and curbside lanes will be closed on Farnam, Douglas and 15th Street until early 2026 because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower.

Saddle Creek Road between Emile Street and Leavenworth Street will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the southbound lanes until Aug. 24.

The eastbound curb lane on Douglas Street will be closed between 44th and Saddle Creek Road for construction until December.

Q Street between South 120th and South 84th Streets will have various lane restrictions for street grinding until Thursday.

Q Street between South 61st and South 72nd Streets will be closed for street improvements until late August.

Westbound traffic on Q Street between South 84th and South 87th Streets will be shifted to the center lane for water-main replacement through Aug. 18. South 84th Street between Park Drive and Q Street will be restricted to one lane northbound as part of the same project.

Mercy Road between South 68th Street and Aksarben Drive will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Aug. 16.

I Street between South 108th and South 102nd Streets will be closed to through traffic for street widening until November.

Grover Street between South 56th Street and South 59th Avenue will be closed for street reconstruction through December.

The intersection of South 70th and Grover Streets will be restricted northbound because of utility work until Tuesday.

Sarpy/Cass Counties

204th Street between Capehart and Westridge Roads near Gretna will close for construction through August as part of the Gretna Crossing Park project. Capehart Road east of 204th Street also is closed until late August as part of the same project.

192nd Street from Lincoln Road to the railroad bridge is closed through the fall for paving and bridge replacement as part of the CONNECTSarpy project.

Platteview Road from Highway 31 to 210th Street is closed through January to allow construction of a three-lane road. Pflug Road is suggested as an alternate route.

Giles Road from 188th to 192nd Streets will be closed until mid-August for paving.

Lane restrictions can be expected on U.S. 34/75 from Plattsmouth to the Bellevue bridges through September to allow for bridge deck repairs, and from Nebraska Highway 1 to Oak Hill Road in Plattsmouth through November 2024 to allow for road construction.

U.S. 34 will have a lane closed in each direction over U.S. 75 and over the Union Pacific Railroad/BNSF Railway and South Fifth Street.

The right lane is closed in both directions on Nebraska Highway 370/Cornhusker Road from 192nd to 180th Streets east of Gretna due to road construction.

A portion of 234th Street north of Schram Road just west of Gretna is closed for replacement of a 550-foot area of culvert until December.

Intermittent overnight lane closures can be expected on Interstate 80 from Exit 426 (Ashland) to Exit 442 (Giles Road).

Lane restrictions are planned on I-80 between Phillips and Giltner (reference posts 318.58 to 324.55) for road resurfacing, bridge repair and replacement of culverts and guardrails. Work will be performed from 7 p.m. to 10 a.m., through November.

Lane closures also are planned on I-80 between the Utica and Pleasant Dale exits (reference posts 365.14 to 387.27) while contractors install guardrails in the median. Work will be performed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday through Friday. Completion is expected in November.

Alternating lane closures are planned overnight on I-80 between Exit 382 (Milford) and Exit 395 (Northwest 48th Street) west of Lincoln because of bridge reconstruction and guardrail repair.

Lane closures are planned on U.S. 275 from Nebraska Highway 36 to U.S. 30/East 23rd Street in Fremont while workers repair pavement and bridges. Completion is expected in fall.

Nebraska Highway 79 is closed in Dodge County at North Bend from U.S. 30 to County Road R, with detours in place through the fall.

Interstate 29 is closed northbound between Nebraska Avenue and Avenue G (Exit 54A) in Council Bluffs, and southbound from North 25th Street (Exit 55) to Nebraska Avenue until November, due to road construction. Detours are in operation.

The I-29 Exit 53B ramp to I-480 West and the Eighth Avenue West/B Road N entrance ramp in Council Bluffs are closed until November.

The South Expressway from I-80 to 19th Avenue in Council Bluffs will be rebuilt until November, with lane closures expected while one-lane traffic is maintained in each direction.

400th Street south of Iowa Highway 92 in Carson, Iowa, in eastern Pottawattamie County, will be closed until Sept. 8 for replacement of a concrete culvert.

Jane Munn of Waverly waves enthusiastically to Gov. Frank Morrison's motorcade as it moves toward ribbon-cutting ceremonies marking the opening of Interstate 80 between Omaha and Lincoln. August 11, 1961.

In this file photo, men work on the new Interstate 80 interstate overpass for Nebraska 63 near Gretna on July 23, 1958. A future I-80 interchange at 192nd Street in Sarpy County has Gretna and Papillion struggling to come up with an agreement to share land.

Twelve miles of Interstate 80 under construction near Lincoln. "Dirt now, but paved soon that's the status of Nebraska's interstate highway. This segment is located a few miles outside the city." August 1959.

August 12, 1961, marked the dedication of the 52 mile stretch of interstate highway linking Nebraska's two largest cities, Lincoln and Omaha. As some 300 persons cheered at the Greenwood interchange, Gov. Frank Morrison snipped a red ribbon crossing the double highway at 3:35 that Friday afternoon. The ribbon was stretched across both east and west bound lanes, with the dignitaries seated on the flatbed truck drawn up in the median.

August 12, 1961, marked the dedication of the 52 mile stretch of interstate highway linking Nebraska's two largest cities, Lincoln and Omaha. As some 300 persons cheered at the Greenwood interchange, Gov. Frank Morrison snipped a red ribbon crossing the double highway at 3:35 that Friday afternoon. The ribbon was stretched across both east and west bound lanes, with the dignitaries seated on the flatbed truck drawn up in the median.

[email protected]; twitter.com/Steve Liewer

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