The West Dodge Expressway

[mrsticka]

Would it have still been built of they had built Dodge as an overpass at 114th years before? It's obviously a moot point now, but sometimes I can't help but wonder.

[BRoss]

No. It's too close to 120th, Old Mill and I-680. The Boys Town exit is a mess because it's a half mile from 132nd and 144th. Old Mill would have had to remain since it's pretty much the only way in and out of the area (they would have never redirected traffic to go 108th from Blondo) and that one is only a third of a mile from 114th and less than that to I-680. I'm pretty sure that was the main reasoning they chose to build the expressway bridges instead of a simple interchange at 114th.

[GRANDPASMUCKER]

If that overpass had not been built they would have found some other way to funnel a hundred million to Kiewit Construction.

[Brad]

There were two plans drawn up. One for the Elevated Expressway like we have now, and another for an "urban interchange" like 144th, 156, 168, 180, and 204.

The local businesses pushed for the Elevated expressway because the urban interchange would have required the removal of several existing businesses in the area as they take up more land. With the elevated expressway, no businesses were demolished.

[OmahaJaysCU]

If that overpass had not been built they would have found some other way to funnel a hundred million to Kiewit Construction.  :D

Didn't Hawkins build it?

[Coyote]

Yes. It was Hawkins Construction Co. who built the Expressway.

[NovakOmaha]

Would it have still been built of they had built Dodge as an overpass at 114th years before?  It's obviously a moot point now, but sometimes I can't help but wonder.

Years before it wasn't an issue. Yeah there was some traffic at rush hour but it wasn't a terrible problem. I lived at Whitehall Condos at 127th and Dodge from 1983 to 1988 and my biggest problem was turning left from Dodge into Whitehall during rush hour. That was before the frontage roads & you never knew if someone saw your turn signals. The frontage roads were a huge deal.

[mrsticka]

I-680 and Dodge used to be a full cloverleaf interchange so that's kind of why I asked. When I lived in Omaha, I used to go through there on a pretty regular basis. Mainly to go to Westroads.

[Brad]

I-680 and Dodge used to be a full cloverleaf interchange so that's kind of why I asked.

and now its 10,000 times better... Essentially, it still does the same thing, just more efficiently.