Tunnels
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Tunnels
Hey I kinda searched for this kind of topic but nothing really came up. I'm interested in photographing tunnels around Omaha. I know they exist just want some info on where they are and how to get to them.
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The dodge street bridge over saddle creek kind of looks like a tunnel?almighty_tuna wrote:What about car-sized tunnels?
The 50th street Tunnel under the railroad tracks.
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I'm going to avoid the other tunnel connotations you might read on here.
In the UNO, Elmwood park area, check out the pedestrian tunnel next to the Elmwood Park Grotto, which is just southeast of the park Pavillion (east side of the park, about a block (walking distance) south of the swimming pool). The UP RR underpasses on 7th, 13th and 14th streets (esp. 7th & 13th...by the main P.O. downtown) are somewhat tunnel-like. Some of the storm water outfall culverts along the Mo. riverfront (not in the immediate downtown area) are quite large and tunnel-like, but don't do any sight seeing until late summer, or during/after rainstorms, as these will carry water the rest of the year (also no "light at the end of the tunnel" effect). These are the only ones I can recollect at this time.
A couple of other good examples are now gone....the "crime zone" pedestrian tunnel under the 52nd & N.W. Radial intersection, south of Benson High (filled in recently by the city due to it's bad rep) and the most well known ex tunnel of them all, the two lane 84th Street tunnel under the UP RR main line, just south of the I-80 interchange, probably the most old world, mountain pass-like tunnel there was in the city at that time.
In the UNO, Elmwood park area, check out the pedestrian tunnel next to the Elmwood Park Grotto, which is just southeast of the park Pavillion (east side of the park, about a block (walking distance) south of the swimming pool). The UP RR underpasses on 7th, 13th and 14th streets (esp. 7th & 13th...by the main P.O. downtown) are somewhat tunnel-like. Some of the storm water outfall culverts along the Mo. riverfront (not in the immediate downtown area) are quite large and tunnel-like, but don't do any sight seeing until late summer, or during/after rainstorms, as these will carry water the rest of the year (also no "light at the end of the tunnel" effect). These are the only ones I can recollect at this time.
A couple of other good examples are now gone....the "crime zone" pedestrian tunnel under the 52nd & N.W. Radial intersection, south of Benson High (filled in recently by the city due to it's bad rep) and the most well known ex tunnel of them all, the two lane 84th Street tunnel under the UP RR main line, just south of the I-80 interchange, probably the most old world, mountain pass-like tunnel there was in the city at that time.
Last edited by l-dude on Wed Mar 07, 2012 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
At one time (through the 60's anyway) all the building basements on the west side of 16th from almost Howard to north of Dodge were connected, including under the cross streets, Harney, Farnam, Douglas & Dodge. Â I don't remember a tunnel under 16th to the City National Bank Building (Orpheum), but there could have been. Â Also in Downtown currently, the under Dodge St. pedestrian tunnel from the parking garage at 13th to the UP Headquarters building between 14th and 15th on Dodge (but I don't know if this is open to the Public).Linkin5 wrote:This subject kind of caught my interest so I have been looking around online. People were stating that there is a tunnel connecting the Orpheum to the Brandeis building, as well as tunnels that connect to Omaha Central from other locations.
Brad, I forgot the 50th Street UP underpass! Â Is that still only 2 lanes?
Yes, still there. Â Back in the day there was at least 3 of them. Â 50th, 84th and 120th.l-dude wrote:Brad, I forgot the 50th Street UP underpass! Is that still only 2 lanes?
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From the Mangelsens Website:
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There are huge storm drainage tunnels under Dodge from the creek at the southeast corner of the Memorial park connecting to the creek south of Dodge, and also from the smaller creek between St. Margaret Mary's and Memorial park to the creek south of Dodge. There is also an even longer one on the south end of Elmwood park going under Pacific street under part of the former Aksarben area, connecting into the little Papio creek. My friends & I used to explore those as kids. The Aksarben one was long enough that you couldn't see the end until you were more than midway through. After heavy rains they fill up pretty quick.iamjacobm wrote:I know a few people said they had walked through really long tunnels at Memorial Park. I never saw them for real though.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings"
...and then they were gone.
...and then they were gone.
How many beers were involved in that?S33 wrote:There is a little tunnel on the knolls golf course going under 108th street. Got a golf cart stuck in there once, so I remember it vividly.
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There were beers. But I think it was mainly motivated by the scene in Austin Powers where he gets his cart stuck in the hallway of his underground lair. Â :)Brad wrote:How many beers were involved in that?S33 wrote:There is a little tunnel on the knolls golf course going under 108th street. Got a golf cart stuck in there once, so I remember it vividly.
Oh, so you were trying to turn around in the tunnel? Â :DS33 wrote:There were beers. But I think it was mainly motivated by the scene in Austin Powers where he gets his cart stuck in the hallway of his underground lair. :)Brad wrote:How many beers were involved in that?S33 wrote:There is a little tunnel on the knolls golf course going under 108th street. Got a golf cart stuck in there once, so I remember it vividly.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings"
...and then they were gone.
...and then they were gone.
I wouldn't necessarily call them "tunnels", but yes, there are basement level passageways connecting many of the downtown buildings. Â I believe that you can get from all the way up by the First National data center (north of Capitol), down through the old First National tower/Doubletree, to the main First National Tower Building. Â From there, I believe there are also connectors south to the Brandeis, and potentially further south. Â For security reasons, I believe that some of these are First National restricted keycard access... Â My wife, who works in the tower, has about a 10 minute walk to her car, without ever going outside...
While not pedestrian friendly, I'm fairly sure there are utility tunnels connecting practically all buildings downtown, as they're almost all served by the ESC steam generating facilities in North Downtown and southwest of downtown.
While not pedestrian friendly, I'm fairly sure there are utility tunnels connecting practically all buildings downtown, as they're almost all served by the ESC steam generating facilities in North Downtown and southwest of downtown.
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I took a screenshot and drew out some tunnels that are in downtown. New tunnels, not cool old tunnels, but still cool.Ben wrote:I wouldn't necessarily call them "tunnels", but yes, there are basement level passageways connecting many of the downtown buildings. I believe that you can get from all the way up by the First National data center (north of Capitol), down through the old First National tower/Doubletree, to the main First National Tower Building. From there, I believe there are also connectors south to the Brandeis, and potentially further south. For security reasons, I believe that some of these are First National restricted keycard access... My wife, who works in the tower, has about a 10 minute walk to her car, without ever going outside...
While not pedestrian friendly, I'm fairly sure there are utility tunnels connecting practically all buildings downtown, as they're almost all served by the ESC steam generating facilities in North Downtown and southwest of downtown.
It was the same as the one currently on 50th and the one that was at 84th back in the day. They were all built at the same time in 1908 when the Lane Cutoff was built. Here are some photos of them building the Lane Cutoff near 84th Street http://www.up150.com/timeline Click on the 1908 tab.bbinks wrote:The creepy one was on 120th near "L" before it was torn out and widened.
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144th as well - was a very narrow 2 lane tunnel. Â I grew up in the neighborhood next to it. Â They dynamited it when they were rebuilding 144th as Oak View was being build - around 1990 - on a Sunday morning. Â Cracked dozens of windows in our neighborhood.Brad wrote:Yes, still there. Back in the day there was at least 3 of them. 50th, 84th and 120th.l-dude wrote:Brad, I forgot the 50th Street UP underpass! Is that still only 2 lanes?
Re: Tunnels
As one who participated in this (semi) flashback blog... (me = Omaha, late 50's & 60's) I appreciate your interest/comment, especially since I'm also no longer in the big o. Comment as often as you can as this group is mostly younger than my generation.
Re: Tunnels
Came across this today. It appears there are some tunnels underneath UNO:
[BBvideo 560,340][/BBvideo]
[BBvideo 560,340][/BBvideo]
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Re: Tunnels
In Lincoln, UNL had a system of walkable tunnels that connected to a few crawlable tunnels off the sides. These would go from the State Capitol building all the way north to Harper-Schram-Smith dorm complex. It was fun walking around city campus. We popped out of one tunnel into Memorial Field and played a few downs.
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Whoa...I had no idea there were steel trestles underneath all the dirt along that stretch. That is trippy.Brad wrote:It was the same as the one currently on 50th and the one that was at 84th back in the day. They were all built at the same time in 1908 when the Lane Cutoff was built. Here are some photos of them building the Lane Cutoff near 84th Street http://www.up150.com/timeline Click on the 1908 tab.bbinks wrote:The creepy one was on 120th near "L" before it was torn out and widened.
Life is the sh*t that happens while we wait for moments that never come.
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Re: Tunnels
The Bostwick Frohardt collection has some photos of the trains with dirt that the UP used to dump dirt through the track in order to pile up the Lane Cutoff.
Re: Tunnels
bigredmed wrote:The Bostwick Frohardt collection has some photos of the trains with dirt that the UP used to dump dirt through the track in order to pile up the Lane Cutoff.
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Re: Tunnels
Or is that wood structure? And if so, how has it not rotted out after 100 years?
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Re: Tunnels
I am sure 95% of it is gone, but you still see a piece here and there. The wood wasn't ever meant to be permanent.Bugeater wrote:Or is that wood structure? And if so, how has it not rotted out after 100 years?
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Ah, I gotcha. I suppose by the time the wood had deteriorated the dirt was stable enough to support the massive weight of the trains. I imagine they had to add to it quite a bit over the initial years as it settled. Fascinating stuff.Brad wrote:I am sure 95% of it is gone, but you still see a piece here and there. The wood wasn't ever meant to be permanent.Bugeater wrote:Or is that wood structure? And if so, how has it not rotted out after 100 years?
Life is the sh*t that happens while we wait for moments that never come.
Re: Tunnels
You know... That make me wonder....
Today when we design anything, maximum lifts are 8 inches.... I wonder how they handled all this dirt at once?
However when they did it, this bridge was only for fill dirt. When the line opened, it was double tracked, this bridge was single track. I am guessing when the embankment was built,the top of the bridge was removed and the final grade was established and the double track was laid.
Today when we design anything, maximum lifts are 8 inches.... I wonder how they handled all this dirt at once?
However when they did it, this bridge was only for fill dirt. When the line opened, it was double tracked, this bridge was single track. I am guessing when the embankment was built,the top of the bridge was removed and the final grade was established and the double track was laid.
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