I-80: 192nd & Capehart Interchange - Western Sarpy County

[Coyote]

I-80: 192 & Capehart Interchange - Western Sarpy County

New I-80 interchange plans ramp up in Sarpy County

KETV NewsWatch 7
Planners are community leaders are hoping to add an I-80 interchange in western Sarpy County as the area continues exponential growth.

[Coyote]

Capehart Road Interchange - Western Sarpy County


'Transportation is everything': New I-80 interchange plans ramp up in Sarpy County
Planners are community leaders are hoping to add an I-80 interchange in western Sarpy County as the area continues exponential growth.

GRETNA, Neb. — The drive to add an interchange to Interstate 80 through the western half of the Omaha metro is ramping up, but the process to get it done has plenty of speed bumps along the way."This is the start of a very long process to use federal money to actually build a new access point on the interstate," said Mike Helgerson, the executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency. It's toward the end of a Planning and Environmental Linkages study focused on I-80 between Highway 370 (mile marker 439) and Highway 31 (mile marker 432). Public comment wrapped up in August and Helgerson hopes to have the PEL ready for review by December. "It's really an effort to balance the demand between existing interchanges," Helgerson said.

[BRoss]

I can't believe we don't already have a thread about this interchange at 192nd. We've talked about it for years.

[Busguy2010]

I can't believe we don't already have a thread about this interchange at 192nd. We've talked about it for years.

In the beltway discussion, which makes sense.

[BRoss]

I can't believe we don't already have a thread about this interchange at 192nd. We've talked about it for years.

In the beltway discussion, which makes sense.

Yeah and also more recently in the 180th/Meridian/192nd thread.

[Coyote]

Study recommends new I-80 interchange in western Sarpy County

SARPY COUNTY, Neb. (WOWT) - A new planning study recommends constructing a new I-80 interchange at 192nd & Capehart in western Sarpy County. Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Planning Agency (MAPA) announced Tuesday that a study conducted by the Sarpy County Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) has identified six possible locations for a new I-80 interchange. The PEL is led by MAPA in partnership with the Sarpy County Government and the cities of Papillion and Gretna. MAPA says the study was meant to determine the new interchange’s need and possible best location.

“The PEL Study determined a new interchange would help mitigate traffic congestion at the I-80 interchanges at N-31 and N-370, accommodate future growth and development, provide regional connectivity to I-80 and accommodate regional freight traffic,” said MAPA in Tuesday’s release.

Six locations were listed as possible places for a new interchange with I-80 in western Sarpy County:

Pflug Road
Platteview Road
204th Street & Fairview Road
192nd Street & Capehart Road
180th Street
168th and Schram Road

MAPA says the study determined 192nd Street & Capehart Road is the best potential location for a new interchange.

“As the communities in our region continue to grow, we need to plan for transportation investments that coordinate with local development,” said MAPA Executive Director Mike Helgerson. “We look forward to working with our Sarpy County partners and NDOT to help move this work forward.” The need for the interchange comes after a Metro Area Travel Improvement Study conducted by MAPA and the Nebraska Department of Transportation. The study, released in 2017, identified the N-31 and N-370 interchanges on I-80 as needing improvement.

[Coyote]

Study reveals 192nd Street as ideal spot for new I-80 interchange


Study reveals 192nd Street as ideal spot for new I-80 interchange
As Sarpy County continues to grow, leaders across the metro are pushing for a new I-80 interchange between Gretna and west Omaha

As Sarpy County continues to grow, leaders across the metro are pushing for a new Interstate 80 interchange between Gretna and west Omaha. Right now, there's a seven-mile gap between exits on I-80 for Highway 370 (mile marker 439) and Highway 31 (mile marker 432). "Those interchanges really aren't able to handle the traffic of today, let alone the traffic of the future," said Mike Helgerson, the executive director of MAPA. On Tuesday, MAPA revealed the results of a Sarpy County Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study, which looked at potential interchange points to accommodate future growth and development.

Topping the list: 192nd Street and Capehart Road.

"It's the one with the fewest natural barriers," Helgerson said. "There's been investments by Sarpy County near 192nd through their Connect Sarpy initiative that make some of the connections easier to imagine." According to MAPA's presentation given to the Sarpy County Board of Commissioners last week, performance criteria included traffic volume, environmental impacts, community impacts, technical challenges, public opposition, and performance thresholds.

[Louie]

This already has some infrastructure work as noted. Wouldn't be as big of a stretch to turn into a full blown interchange as the other intersections would have.

[ChadJK]

I first heard whispers of this back in 2014 or so. At this rate, construction will begin in 2030...

[BRoss]

I first heard whispers of this back in 2014 or so. At this rate, construction will begin in 2030...

I'm pretty sure this goes back way further. They have had plans for a new interchange at 180th (now 192nd) for a long time.

[damonhynes]

I hope they don't half-bleep this. They need to allow space for flyover/unders for the traffic that will materialize with the reimagined Platteview Road.

I-80/NE-370 is already unredeemable because Sarpy/NDOT put up a simple diamond and now they're paying the price.

[Kminustwo]

I go on the Plattview Road website to search for any updates. Do anyone know how this is going? Is this still a go? The plans they have in place for this freeway type of a road would be great for southern Sarpy's coming growth as well as for metro Omaha. I'm making an effort to be positive here but I have a funny feeling that Sarpy is going to find a way to bleep this up.
Oh yea I get that I-80 needs an interchange but why not coordinate those efforts with the Plattview Road system?

[SunMan]

It would be great if the State got involved with Platteview Road & the new I-80 interchange and designated it as the new US Hwy 34. It would be a logical extension instead of turning south at US 75 towards Plattsmouth.

[damonhynes]

I go on the Plattview Road website to search for any updates. Do anyone know how this is going? Is this still a go?

They're working on installing a water pipe alongside Platteview Road Between US-75 and 84th Street. Whether it's sewer or potable water, I can't tell.

[Brad]

I go on the Plattview Road website to search for any updates. Do anyone know how this is going? Is this still a go?

They're working on installing a water pipe alongside Platteview Road Between US-75 and 84th Street. Whether it's sewer or potable water, I can't tell.

Sanitary Sewer - Its for the huge Sarpy county sewer project. viewtopic.php?t=22952

[damonhynes]

I go on the Plattview Road website to search for any updates. Do anyone know how this is going? Is this still a go?

They're working on installing a water pipe alongside Platteview Road Between US-75 and 84th Street. Whether it's sewer or potable water, I can't tell.

Sanitary Sewer - Its for the huge Sarpy county sewer project. viewtopic.php?t=22952

That was my guess, but you know what assuming does...

[admiralArchArch]

It's unbelievable this is taking and will continue to take that long. Omaha metro is so behind it's astounding. Im driving through Iowa right now and there is so much more progress it should be a wake up call for our local governments. I get they have 3x the population but even Des Moines has the South parkway.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

It's unbelievable this is taking and will continue to take that long. Omaha metro is so behind it's astounding. Im driving through Iowa right now and there is so much more progress it should be a wake up call for our local governments. I get they have 3x the population but even Des Moines has the South parkway.

Well it's generally not a great idea to spend money on roads to nowhere for no one.

[riceweb]

It's unbelievable this is taking and will continue to take that long. Omaha metro is so behind it's astounding. Im driving through Iowa right now and there is so much more progress it should be a wake up call for our local governments. I get they have 3x the population but even Des Moines has the South parkway.

Well it's generally not a great idea to spend money on roads to nowhere for no one.

Exactly. Our current freeway system has almost no issues. I'm not sure it's "progress" in Iowa.

[BRoss]

Full report has been posted on MAPA's site.

Interestingly, both 192nd and 168th have been carried forward to the NEPA decision-making process. I'm guessing only 192nd will actually be built in the end though.

[BRoss]

NDOT has announced its intent to proceed with the design and construction of the interchange for 192nd. Still no schedule for construction yet though.

https://dot.nebraska.gov/media/ez0n2a5c ... mm-i80.pdf

With the announcement of the selected location, NDOT is formally moving the project to the next steps of development, which includes completing environmental reviews as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and progressing with early design.

NDOT has already begun coordination with the Federal Highway Administration through the process of an Interstate Access Justification Report. This required document will explain NDOT’s proposed access changes to I-80, as well as its plans to ensure safety and operational efficiency.

[Trips1]

Open house for preliminary design of the interchange.
Date: Thursday, February 12th
Time: 5-7p.m
Location: Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Gretna.

[BRoss]

Open house for preliminary design of the interchange.
Date: Thursday, February 12th
Time: 5-7p.m
Location: Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Gretna.

Exciting to finally see how it's going to be laid out. NDOT also posted a news release and mentioned construction potentially starting next year and completing in 2028.

Preliminary design efforts are underway with construction of the new interchange tentatively scheduled to begin as early as 2027 and conclude by late 2028.

The meeting materials will be posted on the project page on NDOT's website after the meeting.

Also related to this, MAPA recently had a TIP amendment for FY2026 that added some projects, including widening 192nd to four lanes from I-80 north to 370 and three lanes from I-80 south to Platteview Road. I'm forgetting where I saw this, but it's supposedly a requirement to upgrade these stretches in order to put in a new interchange.

Four projects sponsored by Sarpy County added to the Local Projects section of the TIP: 192nd Street Paving & Widening from NE-370 to I-80, 192nd Street Paving & Widening from I-80 to Platteview Road, Capehart Road Paving & Widening from 192nd Street to 204th Street, and Capehart Road Paving & Widening from 168th Street to 192nd Street.

From the local projects section of the TIP:

192nd Street: NE-370 to I-80. Adding two lanes along 192nd Street from NE-370 to Devonshire Drive; paving a four lane divided roadway along 192nd Street from Devonshire Drive to I-80.

192nd Street: I-80 to Platteview Road. Paving a three lane roadway.

[nebugeater]

The details are already posted by BRoss, but I thought I would also post a PDF of the mailing I got

[BRoss]

The plans for this is now out there and it's an interesting design that they chose.

• Aerial Mosaic Scroll
• Meeting Displays
• Meeting Handout

Aerial Mosaic

[CompSci99]

So basically they chose the cheapest option even though it will have worse traffic flow than any of the other designs. In 20 years when traffic is consistently backing up onto the interstate like the 204th street exit, I'll remember this.

[BRoss]

So basically they chose the cheapest option even though it will have worse traffic flow than any of the other designs. In 20 years when traffic is consistently backing up onto the interstate like the 204th street exit, I'll remember this.

That was one of my concerns as well. On top of that, expandability costs are listed as poor, which they mention means "not practical to expand". To me, that is a major red flag because this area is likely going to see a lot of growth in the next 20 years and they should be designing this with that in mind. I think a DDI would be a much better option here. It's listed as being more in the middle cost-wise, but in the long run, would likely cost less than this option.

[Brad]

I'm not a roundabout hater, I really don't mind them at all. That said... I think a lot of the land south of I80 will end up industrial and I'm not sure what a bunch of truck traffic will look like in the roundabouts.

I know in Nebraska they put up signs that say "Yield to the Cars in the Roundabout", but other states say "Yield to cars on the left", which is basically the same thing. Not sure if that would help people understand or not.

Last week there were cars going the wrong way in the roundabout just north of West Dodge on 108th street.

[GenX]

The plans for this is now out there and it's an interesting design that they chose.

• Aerial Mosaic Scroll
• Meeting Displays
• Meeting Handout

Aerial Mosaic

They did a similar thing with the interchanges on the Lincoln south beltway

[GenX]

Cheapest option with the worst traffic operations, the least expandable and the least driver expectancy/familiarity makes complete sense.

[Mapguy]

How does a diamond with lights have a lower score for land impacts than a diamond with roundabouts?

Roundabouts take up more space which requires more land to be purchased, more concrete to be laid, and more signage and landscaping.

NDOT (and to a similar extent Omaha Public Works) IMO usually picks what they want for a solution and then works their way backwards to justify it.

This is not unlike Omaha's failed attempt to cram roundabouts down Midtowns throat on Farnam Street at 50th and 52nd. They claimed that 1 way traffic that switches directions for 2 hours of the day twice a day is somehow safer as is than just making it a normal and predictable 2 way street with 2 lights.

Roundabouts are not a bad tool---but they arent the silver bullet traffic engineers make them out to be. They should either be small and residential scale or large enough to have bypass lanes for right turns----anything in-between that is generally awful.

[locoluke]

I wish NDOT would give that more weight to safety and people walking and biking at the expense of traffic operations in other projects *ahem* Dodge Street *ahem*

[BRoss]

As I mentioned a few posts back, there are plans to widen a few roads in the area. Gretna approved plans yesterday to widen 192nd Street from the new interchange north to Hwy 370 to four lanes and Capehart Road to three lanes from the new interchange to 204th Street. Work will start sometime in winter/spring 2027 and finish fall 2027.

https://www.ketv.com/article/gretna-i-8 ... s/70957882

Gretna City Council approved plans Tuesday for $22.5 million in road improvements near a proposed I-80 interchange off Capehart Road.

The city improvements will focus on three stretches of 192nd Street and Capehart Road, some of which are currently two-lane gravel roads. The planned improvements add a 3-lane concrete street to Capehart Road, and a 5-lane road with a median/turn lane to 192nd Street between Highway 370 and Capehart Road.

192nd & Capehart Road Improvements.jpg

Grenta City Council 4-7-26 Agenda, page 131