South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles (and Streetcars!).

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Brad
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Post by Brad »

They have a couple of the vertical beams of the "old school" part of the new bridge up.
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

That's seriously really cool. Until you informed me a few weeks ago, I had no idea that they incorporated that into the design.

I'll have to check it out soon.
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Post by icejammer »

Memorial Bridge construction progresses
In less than a year, east and westbound travelers will be able to use the new Veterans Memorial Bridge, now under construction over the Missouri River, a spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Roads said.

“Next June, we’ll open up for traveling on the new bridge,” said Karl Burns from the department’s Omaha office. . . .

The new bridge, like the new road itself through Council Bluffs, will have four lanes, two in each direction, separated by a median with a pedestrian walkway and bike path, Burns said. It will also feature what’s called an overhead truss, he added. The bridge will be about the same height over the river as the current one, Burns said. . . .
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

I am SO happy that it has a pedestrian/bike path!!! And that it will be a truss design similar to the old bridge.
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UNOstudent
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Post by UNOstudent »

From July 7th

Image

Image
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

Thanks for the pics, Brad.

I actually drove the bridge the other day to take a look at it. It should be pretty impressive when complete. I do with the truss section were longer, though. It seems rather short.
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Post by Brad »

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Thanks for the pics, Brad.
I think you need to thank Chris :;):
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

Woops! Thanks Chris!

Brad had just mentioned getting pix the most recently.
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Post by fbx »

May 28-29
Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image
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Post by Brad »

Awesome Shots!  Thanks for posting!
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Post by Admin »

Thanks again for the pic fbx!
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Post by windsor »

They are making a lot of progress down there.  Thanks for sharing.
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

Thanks for the pics, fbx!

But, it's been a few months. You need to get back out there now that the truss is being erected! :)
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Brad
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Post by Brad »

Photo Update:
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3.
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4.
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5.
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6.
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Last edited by Brad on Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

Very well done, Brad. Thanks!
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Post by Bosco55David »

When did they decide to make it a truss bridge? I thought they weren't going to do that at first.
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Post by Brad »

I always thought it was going to be a truss bridge.  I am really glad it is too.  There is a rendering on page one that shows a truss bridge.
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Post by windsor »

Wow, that bridge is looking amazing.
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Post by windsor »

I have read back three pages.  I see the bridge will close next month.  Did they pick a date yet?
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Post by Brad »

Nothing new on the NDOR site.
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Post by Brad »

Memorial Bridge's final day coming

http://www.omaha.com/article/20090826/N ... /FRONTPAGE
www.omaha.com wrote:Motorists will make their final trip across the Missouri River using the Veterans Memorial Bridge at 9 a.m. Sept. 8.
www.omaha.com wrote:The closure is expected to last nine months, with the opening of the new bridge scheduled for June 2010.

“It’s on schedule,” Burns said.
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Post by Brad »

CLOSED!
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Post by nebugeater »

Not only closed but as of an hour ago they were cutting out sections of the side rails.  This was in the area that demo needs to be done to make way for the supports for the new bridge on the Nebr side.  I bet it does not stand long, at least in some areas.
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Post by Brad »

nebugeater wrote:Not only closed but as of an hour ago they were cutting out sections of the side rails.  This was in the area that demo needs to be done to make way for the supports for the new bridge on the Nebr side.  I bet it does not stand long, at least in some areas.
I bet the western 1/4 is gone by months end.
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Post by fbx »

We're aiming for October to start delivering bridge beams again. But, that is the earliest predicted time.
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Post by nebugeater »

fbx wrote:We're aiming for October to start delivering bridge beams again. But, that is the earliest predicted time.
Last I check that could be as soon as three weeks.
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South Omaha Bridge.

Post by Allan_Love_Jr »

When are they gonna implode the steel spans on the older Bridge?
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Re: South Omaha Bridge.

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BNSFrailfan wrote:When are they gonna implode the steel spans on the older Bridge?
Don't know that they are.  Have you heard that was part of the plan?  Late this PM the were getting ready to lift the first peice of the old deck down where they need to put the new supports.  Looks to me like they have it segmented to do a bunch of it this way on the Nebr side.
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Post by nebugeater »

Had a camera with and at Noon on Friday they were going at taking down another section of the deck on the old bridge

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And a couple of the new bridge progress

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Image
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Post by thenewguy »

it would have been great if they'd have kept the old bridge up and open, and converted it to pedestrian.
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Post by Allan_Love_Jr »

thenewguy wrote:it would have been great if they'd have kept the old bridge up and open, and converted it to pedestrian.
I agree with you there.
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Post by nebugeater »

thenewguy wrote:it would have been great if they'd have kept the old bridge up and open, and converted it to pedestrian.
Read the thread and this was covered.

1) the condition of the old bridge is terrible.

2) the design of the new bridge requires this to be demo'ed, thus the 9 months without a bridge.  An alternate design would have been very impractical, costly, and cause the loss of more property.


Overall a good idea but in this case not practical at all
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Post by thenewguy »

i knew it was covered, just saying it would have been nice.  I didn't remember the structural lackings to make it feasable, though.
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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

Yeah, I totally agree with you, thenewguy, and brought this up previously.

It would have been awesome, and innovative if that had been made to work (and it could have been). However, at least there is a nice wide pedestrian/cyclist right of way which is separated from traffic.
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Post by Brad »

This has also been discussed, the new bridge will have a 10' bike trail on the north side.
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Post by fbx »

The plan was to dismantle the bridge from the Omaha side all the way to the Iowa side at the river edge. From there, they will demo it.
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Post by Brad »

nebugeater wrote:Had a camera with and at Noon on Friday they were going at taking down another section of the deck on the old bridge

Image





Image





Image


And a couple of the new bridge progress

Image




Image
I for got to mention this yesterday, but Thanks for the Great Pics!
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Post by Brad »

Cool construction Video!

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Post by StreetsOfOmaha »

Thanks Brad. Wow, I knew the new bridge was bigger than the old one, but the aerial perspective in that video shows that the new bridge absolutely DWARFS the old one.

Has anyone heard or does anyone have any inside knowledge as to whether the bridge will have a nighttime lighting scheme. That would be really impressive.
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Post by Brad »

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Thanks Brad. Wow, I knew the new bridge was bigger than the old one, but the aerial perspective in that video shows that the new bridge absolutely DWARFS the old one.
I am going to shoot an aerial of it soon as the weather clears up and the Helicopter can get to Omaha.  I think I am going to go east or west of it and shoot back at it so that you can see the two side by side.

I think it was 4 - 12' lanes, 2 - 10' shoulders, 1 - 10' Center Median, 1 - 10' Bike Trail = 88' wide.  I bet the old bridge is 25 or 30 feet total!

Here are a few shots from Sunday
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4.  This is a good one, you can see the old bridge with two concrete supports on either side of it for the new bridge.
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