South Omaha Veterans Memorial Bridge

Post by **Brad** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:59 pm

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

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:07 pm

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.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:05 pm

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. . . .

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:08 pm

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

UNOstudent · Post by **UNOstudent** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 7:22 pm

From July 7th

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:50 am

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.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 3:33 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:Thanks for the pics, Brad.

I think you need to thank Chris

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:25 pm

Woops! Thanks Chris!

Brad had just mentioned getting pix the most recently.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:16 pm

May 28-29

Post by **Brad** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:20 pm

Awesome Shots! Thanks for posting!

Post by **Admin** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 3:05 pm

Thanks again for the pic fbx!

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:21 pm

They are making a lot of progress down there. Thanks for sharing.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:40 pm

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!

Post by **Brad** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:23 pm

Photo Update:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:55 pm

Very well done, Brad. Thanks!

Bosco55David · Post by **Bosco55David** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:50 pm

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

Post by **Brad** » Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:23 pm

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.

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:46 pm

Wow, that bridge is looking amazing.

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:37 pm

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

Post by **Brad** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:13 pm

Nothing new on the NDOR site.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:16 pm

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.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:41 am

CLOSED!

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:06 pm

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.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:12 pm

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.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 1:23 pm

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

Post by **nebugeater** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:26 pm

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.

Allan_Love_Jr · Post by **Allan_Love_Jr** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 6:37 pm

When are they gonna implode the steel spans on the older Bridge?

Post by **nebugeater** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:29 pm

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.

Post by **nebugeater** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 8:55 am

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

And a couple of the new bridge progress

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:49 pm

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

Allan_Love_Jr · Post by **Allan_Love_Jr** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:57 pm

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.

Post by **nebugeater** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:01 pm

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

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:55 am

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

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:18 pm

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.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:22 pm

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

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:51 am

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.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:51 am

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

And a couple of the new bridge progress

I for got to mention this yesterday, but Thanks for the Great Pics!

Post by **Brad** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:11 pm

Cool construction Video!

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 12:15 am

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.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 1:07 am

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
1.

2.

3.

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.