Highway 31 taking off

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:10 pm

As I was travelling south down Hwy 31 (204th st.) from Gretna, I was surprised to see all the residential development sprouting up. One of the new neighborhoods on the east side, Copperfields, caught my eye because from a distance it looks like it says "Cornfields".. i got a kick out of that. I imagine Hwy 370 to Q will have to be widened in the not too distant future, if there haven't already been plans for it.

So how about this work on Pacific by Bob Boozer. It seems to me that if they're making it 4 lanes they'll have to build another bridge over the Papio. Does anyone know if there's plans to build another overpass at 192nd & Dodge? Nice to see the construction work going on at Hwy 275.. looks like they're putting in an overpass on Dodge. Is this to be a 4-6 lane highway all the way to Valley?

guy4omaha · Post by **guy4omaha** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:26 pm

Does anyone know if there's plans to build another overpass at 192nd & Dodge? Nice to see the construction work going on at Hwy 275.. looks like they're putting in an overpass on Dodge. Is this to be a 4-6 lane highway all the way to Valley?

I believe the plan calls for an expressway from Fremont to I-680. Thus the completed section of expressway from just east of Valley to Fremont is the western leg of what will culminate at I-680. Since this is the plan, I think there will be an overpass or some other type of restricted access at 192nd St.

When this is completed watch Fremont and Dodge County grow. The amount of traffic and workers that commute between Omaha and Fremont is already huge. With more than 36,000 residents now, Dodge County will give a nice boost the metro's total population as this area takes off in the near future.

Will · Post by **Will** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 4:57 am

From the way the work is progressing I would say that dodge will go over 192nd like it does for the boys town exit. If anyone has driven west from 168th on dodge there is construction all the way to waterloo. The over pass on 180th and 192nd should be compleeted by fall 2006. the construction west of elkhorn should also be compleated by fall 2006. The section of dodge between 168th and waterloo is the last to be built, so it should be a great addition to the hwy system here in the omaha area. For some reason the hwy goes back to two lanes just as it crosses the Dodge county line about five miles from fremont.

Zephyr · Post by **Zephyr** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:12 am

According to MAPA's long range transportation plan (http://www.mapacog.org/2025lrtp.pdf), the expressway will head west via West Dodge, turn north at Hwy 6 (240th), and head northwest to Fremont after West Maple. Indeed, several new or improved interchanges are planned including 180th, 192nd, 204th, 216th, 228th, 240th, Blondo, West Maple, Fort, &c.

Will · Post by **Will** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:10 pm

is fremont part of the omaha metro in regards to population, and if not will the hwy help us to be able to count them as part of our metro population.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:16 pm

The Fremont 'micropolitan area' population is included in the Omaha CSA (combined statistical area)... that total being ~830,000. No doubt... an improved route between Fremont and the Omaha metro will contribute towards those Fremont residents commuting to Omaha to engage in work/commerce.

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 11:32 pm

So will this be the new I-880?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 1:23 pm

No. Loops around cities have even numbers like 680 and 480. Direct routes into cities have odd numbers like I-180 into DT Lincoln. If this does get an interstate designation it will have an odd number since it goes directly into Omaha.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 1:22 pm

I thought the even numbers denoted an Interstate connects to another, I.E. 480 connecting I80 & I29 and 680 much the same, only larger. Odd numbers like I-180 in Lincoln signified the interstate does not meet up w/another interstate and one way or another ceases following interstate travel standards (at grade crossings, becoming a city street, etc).

http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/3di-primer.html

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 5:34 pm

Yeah, almighty_tuna is correct about the even/odd designations. Even routes may provide a short inner-city connector, like I-490 in Ohio. Odd routes may work similiar to a loop with a spur, like I-580 in California. There are exceptions to the rules, of course.

I-880 would most likely be reserved for a beltway around Omaha/Council Bluffs, as I-280 is already a part of the Iowa Interstate system. This route would most likely receive I-380, if any Interstate designation at all, in the near future.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 6:08 pm

Wouldn't it be feasable, and perhaps smarter if a new beltway were to be constructed, to have it leach off I-29 for an x29 designation?! That way we wouldn't use all of our x80 options. Or if a new beltway didn't cross into Iowa and just connected between 80 and 680 (say from Gretna north around and connecting w/680) it could be 280 since its in NE, not IA. And frankly I don't recognize the need to create an additional loop north of the East/West section of 680. There can still be a substantial amount of growth up there and 680 can still very successfully function much like I80 does in southern Omaha.

Post by **nebugeater** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 6:14 pm

omaja wrote: I-880 would most likely be reserved for a beltway around Omaha/Council Bluffs, as I-280 is already a part of the Iowa Interstate system. This route would most likely receive I-380, if any Interstate designation at all, in the near future.

Not that it would stop the number sugested here but there is already a I380 in Iowa. It runs N off of I80 from Iowa City, through Cedar Rapids, and on to Waterloo. I know they reuse those numbers but I would be suprised if it was duplicated less than 300 miles away.

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 6:44 pm

Feasible? Yes. Abit odd though as I-29 doesn't directly serve Omaha.
I don't think there are any beltways where the parent does not serve the major city in the metro area.

It would seem more logical to use I-280 in Lincoln where there wouldn't be any worry of conflicting designation. Even moreso with the proposed South and East beltways making a loop with US-77 to I-80.

I think there will be plenty of I-x80 designations to go around for the metro. There are currently six unused ones. And I wouldn't rule out a major north-south route for Nebraska (beings we don't have one) in the [very] long-term future.

EDIT: Actually, you shouldn't be surprised.

There are two I-470s around 68 miles from eachother; one is in Kansas City, Missouri, and the other is in Topeka, Kansas.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 1:07 pm

They need to make Highway 75 (South & North Freeway, Kennedy, or whateverelse it is called) go all the way through North Omaha and extend the 4 lane section to south of Plattsmouth. If that happened it would save money on building a loop so another area of the city can grow.

guy4omaha · Post by **guy4omaha** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:13 pm

DTO Luv wrote:They need to make Highway 75 (South & North Freeway, Kennedy, or whateverelse it is called) go all the way through North Omaha and extend the 4 lane section to south of Plattsmouth. If that happened it would save money on building a loop so another area of the city can grow.

Before any extension takes place, might it not make more sense to add lanes to the existing JFK. Constructing the last extension with only 4 lanes was terribly shortsighted. The same is true of I-80 east of the I-480/I-80/JFK interchange. Before a northward extension is considered, Eppley needs a direct connection from I-29.

Geez, I sound like I think I should be the traffic engineer or something...

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 8:22 pm

Before any extension takes place, might it not make more sense to add lanes to the existing JFK.

This is in the works already. There was an article about it some time ago on the OWH site. As I remember it, EB-80 to SB-JFK will get an additional exit lane, as will NB-JFK to WB-80. JFK will get widened to 4 lanes, the F street exit will be removed. I'll keep looking- I just can't find the darn link to the Getting Around section of OWH. It was slated to be happening like 7-10 years out but the powers that be decided it should be done sooner. Something within 5 years I think (starting, not ending).

edited to add: I found the Getting Around section, but the archives do not seem to go that far back.

Post by **Coyote** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:22 pm

Kennedy Freeway article in OWH from Nov 12th
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1636&u_sid=915539

OWH from March 1st:
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1636&u_sid=1021379

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 10:43 pm

tyvm!!

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 12:47 pm

I'm talking about H75 going all the way to 680. Their is no real interstate system serving the northern part of the city. I-80 is always full because it is the ONLY east-west route through Omaha. If people north of Blondo didn't have to use 80 to get DT then it would relieve traffic off of both 680 and 80. Their was a wreck an southbound 680 between Dodge and Pacific and I couldn't tell how far backed up it was. Thankfully I was gong the other way.

Omaha needs to do more in general to have better roads. I lived on 108th and Maple around "89 and their wasn't anything past there until you got to Elkhorn. That intersection was busy then. They are just now getting around to doing it, even though development goes out almost all the way to Elkhorn. Why don't they put necessary roads in before 100,000 people move some where.

guy4omaha · Post by **guy4omaha** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 8:29 pm

DTO Luv wrote:Omaha needs to do more in general to have better roads. I lived on 108th and Maple around "89 and their wasn't anything past there until you got to Elkhorn. That intersection was busy then. They are just now getting around to doing it, even though development goes out almost all the way to Elkhorn.

Why don't they put necessary roads in before 100,000 people move some where.

I think it is in large part too many projects and needs competing for too few funding dollars. Everyone that I hear from is always saying that our taxes locally are too high already. Omaha is probably more challenged compared than sunbelt cities in that we may have higher maintenance and repair costs due to our freeze thaw cycles with concrete and asphalt. This probably deters from what would otherwise be a greater ability to fund more new projects.

Certainly I would think most would agree that urban sprawl has really occurred at a much greater pace in the last 10 to 15 years than in the years previous. My perception is that we were trying to keep sprawl in check and then during this last period it seems like things really took off. This sprawl has to only exacerbate the funding issues.

Anyone else have an opinion? Do these issues I cite deserve much of the blame or is it that our planners and officials just have done a poor job of being proactive?

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Highway 31 taking off

Highway 31 taking off

Tough problem or dumb officials?