Omaha Forums

Are they using the old Chicago & North Western railroad bridge at 60th and F street to build a new Bike Trail?

I think they are linking Keystone and Field Club.  I assume this is part of that.

That makes sense.  I remember the conversation, but I guess I don't remember the trail alignment.  

Its great they are preserving and re-using a piece of Omaha Railroad history!  I hope they can put some new Chicago & North Western signs on the bridge.  If you look closely in that photo you can see the old CNW sign (Which needs to be removed before someone takes it).  I think it wouldn't be too hard to get some replicas.

FYI, that line would be a perfect lightrail line if they would not have removed all the tracks...  The tracks on that bridge went from Fremont to Arlington to Bennington to Irvington to the Crossroads Mall area, through Aksarben, to 60th and F to 42nd and F and then on in to Downtown Omaha!

http://www.omahaice.org/Keystone%20East ... -08-13.htm



Looks like that is exactly what it is.

Should be a great east/west addition.

I'm so happy to see work actually underway!

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:I'm so happy to see work actually underway!

Me, too!

anyone got the news when this connection will be done? the entrance near the keystone side has a fence blocking it.surely there to 50th is done?

I'm looking forward to this opening, as it will give my wife and I a new route.  We live just off Field Club trail, so having a direct connection will be really nice.  Field Club trail is kind of an orphan without any real connections as it is now.

Any word on the status of this project?

I've been curious about where this project is at so I went down and did some investigating this morning. Turns out the trail is done from the Keystone connection past 50th St. Now whether it's really "open" or not is debatable, there was nothing blocking the Keystone end so I rode it up to 50th, but there were signs there saying it was closed. But again, no barricades or fence closing it off.

Anyway, I did snap some pics while I was out.

Cool, thanks for the pics! It looks like they're still finishing up fences and other details, but it appears pretty close to done in the pictures.

Does it connect all the way up to Field Club Trail by the old grain elevator?

Due to time constraints I had to turn around and head back at 50th St, so I don't know for sure how much more of it is completed.  I'm going to try to get back down there next weekend and check it out some more.

not same trail but noticed a trail being poured along State Street where it meet Wenninghoff Road. It is coming down from the direction of 72nd street.  It would be nice if they would connect this with the piece between Sheffield Street and Read and then down to the Keystone at 90th.

Seth wrote:Does it connect all the way up to Field Club Trail by the old grain elevator?

I was trying to follow the train on the Brand New Google Earth Aerial Images.  On the East Side, it looks like the trail stops on an alley or dirt road near 45th and "G" Street, on the west end it looks like it stopped right after it crossed the old railroad bridge at 60th street.

I am sure they could have done more in the past month and a half.

the section from 50th to the keystone is ride ready, but it looks like they are putting a fence all along it, even on the bridge. gonna look tacky.

CloudIndustryAcademy wrote:the section from 50th to the keystone is ride ready, but it looks like they are putting a fence all along it, even on the bridge. gonna look tacky.

I suppose that is necessary to satisfy the homeowners who were afraid of the trail.

Thanks for the photos!  Hopefully some news outlets pick the story up soon to get the awareness out, should be an often used link.

I finally got the bike out of the basement for the first time today.  Rode from our house down to Aksarben Village and then south to the new trail.  The new trail is not marked very well yet.  Basically when you cross the creek there is a WYE in the trail and you take the north leg and head back north and around the ball field. When you get past the ball field you go between a city lot and Kewit's lot where they store a lot of equipment (there were 2 tower cranes in there today).  You parrallel the Union Pacific line up to about 60th were you meet the former Chicago and Northwestern Right of Way.  I rode to the 60th street bridge the there were 2 trucks on the bridge installing a HUGE fence across the bridge.  I understand why, but it sucks they are going to trash a cool historic bridge.  I am guessing the fence west of 60th was required by Kewit and the Union Pacific because they both don't want people on their property.

Eventually I will be able to ride from my house to Aksarben, to the Keystone Train, up the South Omaha Trail, then catch the field club trail to Leavenworth before heading back home.

Well |expletive|, that does suck that they're putting a fence over the bridge, that is going to look like |expletive|. Although I imagine it's also a safety issue, the sides of it aren't very high.

Plus you'll have knuckleheads like me hanging over the edge to, among other things, take pictures like this one. Glad I got it while I could though.

Oh, and I really hope they're not fencing off the trail east of 50th, that would be really lame. That's the nicest section of the trail.

Bugeater wrote:Glad I got it while I could though.

I know a guy that wanted to hang over the edge and re-paint that old CNW logo!

I think it would be cool if a bunch of railroad enthusiasts got together and labeled all the crossings and right of ways along the trails in Omaha.  There is a lot of railroad history that people are biking across today.

That is all.

Haha, nice try...

More like this:

Next Wednesday is the ribbon cutting.

The entire connection is finished?

Bugeater wrote:The entire connection is finished?

According to this no.

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Omah ... 77896.html

Phase 1 of the 2.1 mile long South Omaha Trail is now completed and will hold a ribbon cutting at noon Friday at the trailhead directly west of the Karen Western Elementary School parking lot. This 10-foot wide concrete, multi-use, recreational trail is built on a former Union Pacific rail line and connects the Keystone Trail, Karen Western Elementary School and businesses in central Omaha, just south of Interstate 80.

Brook Bench, acting parks director, stated that future plans for Phase 2 include extending the trail 1.6 miles from South 45th and Dayton streets to the southern terminus of the Field Club Trail in midtown Omaha. This will provide a much needed east-west route in the city.

Design of this trail is 100 percent complete and will be completely funded by the Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District. Construction for this phase should start in the spring of 2013.

Yeah, I caught that on the news tonight. We're looking at least another year for it to be completed.

Does anyone have any idea about when the second phase of this is going to get completed? It was supposed to be done last year but I was down that way earlier this spring and not a dang thing has been done yet.

Well, 4 years later and this connection is ever so close to completion. It's been a long time coming.

Is that the part just west of 42nd Street?

Yep, from what I understand pretty much everything east of 42nd is completed, but I didn't go down that far to confirm it.

East Keystone Trail to Field Club Trail:

Bugeater wrote:Yep, from what I understand pretty much everything east of 42nd is completed, but I didn't go down that far to confirm it.

Yeah, I have checked out most of that and its basically done. I just haven't seen the part from F street around the corner to 42nd since its down in that cut. Going to be great having that in.

Trail is 100% connected by cement as of last week or so. Still construction going on, but after work hours, I have had no problem running on the trail. Probably my favorite trail in Omaha due to the tree cover and lack of bikers zipping past you.

Taco wrote:Trail is 100% connected by cement as of last week or so. Still construction going on, but after work hours, I have had no problem running on the trail. Probably my favorite trail in Omaha due to the tree cover and lack of bikers zipping past you.

As a biker who will soon be "zipping past you", I always announce my presence to runners and walkers even though I know they won't hear me through their headphones. Glad this is finally open.

This new section is coming along nicely:

Woah, nice! I'll have to bike the Big Papio to Blondo to West Papio trail loop once it's finished. Is there a timetable?

I wish they would have kept the trail along the creek for the entire stretch instead of using the alternative (in orange).

Has anyone ridden the south riverfront trail that starts around 2nd and Hickory? I noticed it on the interactive bike map but the area is starts in seems super private and around a lot of railroad tracks.

This morning I saw dozens of people planting trees along the West Papio Trail next to Harry Anderson Ave. in section that went from A to at least M with at least 8 trees per section so I'm guessing some 100 trees.

Just found this:

Join Keep Omaha Beautiful for Arbor Day Weekend as we conduct our first volunteer-based tree planting of 2019. We will plant roughly 180+ trees along the West Papio Trail (near Harry Andersen Avenue, between Q Street and I-80).

Registration is required for this event and spots are limited, so sign up today!

Volunteers will work in small groups to place trees in pre-augured holes, cover with excavated soil and mulch, and add tree tags to help educate our community about the Trees for Omaha program. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome. All supplies are provided by Keep Omaha Beautiful, and volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves a