Suttle revives 680 to Eppley bridge proposal

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:30 am

We've talked about the MAPA recommendation here before... now Jim Suttle is attempting to get it moving. NDOR says it's not interested in being involved... although I bet Iowa will recognize the potential it has in accelerating development just across the river along 680.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=7220462

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:41 am

I hope it works. That would be a very important link.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:59 am

Ive thought of that for finishing the north freeway. I hope they do this right like an interstate, with an nice interchange for Storz. They need to widen the ramp going east off the N Expressway so its the main drag instead of being an exit. Then curve back north and go across the river, hooking up with an new 680 interchange. They would have to move a few industrial buildings and maybe a handfull of trailers by the river. I bet lots of people that live north of say Blondo or Maple that now drive down 680 to 80 and up 480 to DT would just blast across 680, go into Iowa briefly and then come back across and down the N expressway. Id bet if this where built, widening the east-west section of 680 wouldn't be far behind.

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:25 am

I'm all for it. Just don't put any highrises next to it.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:35 pm

Boy, somebody had a healthy dose of optimism for breakfast before being interviewed for the story!

OWH wrote:"This metropolitan area has a real ability to double in the next 30 years, and the key is going to be transportation," Hanafan said.

It would be great to see this get going. The current interchange off I-680 wouldn't require any work, other than maybe redoing the grade on approaches to the overpass, so most of the cost for this would involve construction of a new bridge over the Mighty Mo.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:11 pm

This would be great and alleviate the North Freeway's sudden disappearance.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:03 pm

I would love to see this happen. I think it would bring more of a balance to the metro since it wouldn't be as far of a drive from here to DT.

I don't understand how Nebraska can build huge 4-lane 20 mile long freeways btwn Nebraska City and Auburn (BTW Auburn is NE's fastest shrinking city, but no interest in building something in the biggest city in the state

) Anyways I hope Iowa realizes the importance of this.

And Josh I totally agree with you about this road going back into NE for us to use and push the city north.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:04 pm

This would be great for Florence and the North 30th Street businesses, get those loud, big and dangerous 18 wheelers out of there.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:30 am

I found this on wowt.com

Just another plain bridge, nothing fancy.

Over The River...

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/1633467.html

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:07 pm

Brad wrote:I found this on wowt.com

Just another plain bridge, nothing fancy.

Consider the source.

That computer-generated "bridge" is so unrealistic, it hurts. For starters, every bridge on the Missouri has to maintain a certain clearance for navigation per Coast Guard regulations, and that shows almost no clearance. Just go look at the clearance on all the other bridges across the Mighty Mo to see how unrealistic this view is.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 5:28 pm

Looks like more progress is being made, and soon...

Officials to consider new route to Eppley

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:52 am

The council unanimously approved the plan for a bridge connecting 680/Eppley... although they stopped short of allowing use of city funds for a study. Given the economic impact which Iowa stands to gain on their side of the river (and with both Iowa senators reportedly voicing support already)... they may be happy to pick up the tab.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=3739380

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 2:24 pm

OW-H wrote:Iowa Rep. Steve King, in a statement released through a spokeswoman, said:

"Any project that would connect our communities and open up the entire region to economic development is a great step in the right direction. But we must devote our attention to first completing those bridges that we've invested local and federal time, sweat and funds toward, like the expansion of the Highway 34 bridge."

JHC, Rep. King is such a dipstick. Ever hear of multiple road projects being done simultaneously?

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 2:06 am

I saw this on tv the other day (the local access channel) and that fat |expletive| Frank Brown, in a John Kerry-esque fashion, kept saying he was for a way to get people from 680 to the airport, but against putting a bridge into Iowa. (I voted for the war before....) His reasoning was that we should be trying to get people out of Nebraksa as fast as possible (it's doing that fine). If he would put the KFC bucket down he would realize that it's to get people from OUTSIDE of Nebrakse into OMAHA faster.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:41 pm

DTO Luv wrote:he would realize that it's to get people from OUTSIDE of Nebrakse into OMAHA faster

Very well put DTO, and hopefully Mr. Brown will come to see that this alternative disrupts the area the least as far as getting people from I-680 to the airport.

DTO Luv wrote:. . . and that fat |expletive| Frank Brown . . .

OK, I have to admit, even though it's not very nice, I had to chuckle a little.

Ingersoll1978 · Post by **Ingersoll1978** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:45 pm

Wouldn't most of the land in the area of the new road be in a flood plain (on the Iowa side)?

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:50 pm

Nothing a few scoops of the Loess Hills couldn't cure.

j/k of course.

I'm sure Iowa will find a way to development it... perhaps even on the 'shoulders' of another casino!

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 1:04 am

Douglas County board will consider the 680/Eppley bridge proposal.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=3822020

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 3:15 am

eight to ten years before we start this project, I guess this is better than No way that we got 6 years ago

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:02 pm

Pott. Co. supervisors are looking favorably upon this proposal....

Supervisors support bridge plan

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:12 pm

Looks like MAPA is on board with this idea again...

Daily Nonpareil wrote:In other action, the board (MAPA) approved the idea of extending North 16th Street in Omaha across the Missouri River to hook up with Interstate 680 north of Council Bluffs.

Omaha City Councilman Jim Suttle said he will contact the Council Bluffs City Council and Carter Lake officials for their approval before taking the proposal to Washington for federal financial assistance.

loyalomahan · Post by **loyalomahan** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:17 pm

Actually it was recommended in their last published long range study, so they probably didn't spend much time thinking about their decision to approve it.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:36 pm

loyalomahan - yes, but that LRTP is 5 years old now, and the board had had more than 50% turnover in the intervening years, so it wasn't a slam-dunk the MAPA board would still follow their LRTP, considering this beltway proposal wasn't in the latest LRTP.

loyalomahan · Post by **loyalomahan** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:53 pm

I bet the debate amounted to about as much as these last few posts.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:42 pm

More than likely, more than likely....