LOCATION: This proposed project is located within the City of Omaha in Douglas County and
consists of expanding the existing I-80 eastbound (EB) lanes of U.S. Interstate 80 (I-80), by
constructing one to two additional lanes between 126th Street and the 96th Street Interchange.
PURPOSE AND NEED: The purpose of this project is to preserve the I-80 transportation asset,
improve the reliability of the transportation system by reducing congestion, and perpetuate the
mobility of the traveling public. The need for this project is based on projected traffic count
information.
SCOPE OF WORK: This proposed I-80 project would add an auxiliary lane by allowing the 126th
Street on-loop to enter I-80 eastbound as the fourth lane. This auxiliary lane would be extended and
would have to exit at the local access road to “L” Street. A third mainline lane would be added to I-80
eastbound beginning just south of “Q” Street and connecting to the third lane added by the existing
eastbound “L” Street on-loop access to I-80. This access to I-80 mainline for “L” Street eastbound
traffic would be closed; the eastbound on-loop traffic from “L” Street must use the new and expanded
Collector Distributor (CD) road constructed north of “L” Street. The project would also involve bridge
maintenance on the West Papio Creek Bridge. The current signing for access to I-680 northbound
and I-80 eastbound on “L” Street will remain as it is today.
A great video fully explaining the changes (the I-80 part starts at the 3:18 mark): http://vimeo.com/70589509
All I can say, is its about time. L St merging into I-80, and I-80 merging to get to I-680 has always been a |expletive|, same with thr I-80 merging into I-680 before Pacific. Those at times can be huge bottlenecks. Just wondering if the commitment cone will still be there (inside joke if anyone remembers).
I still don't think this is necessary. According to Google Maps Traffic, peak rush hour traffic in these areas doesn't get worse than yellow level. Maybe I've just gotten so used to Chicago highways, but in my opinion, yellow is still an acceptable traffic level at rush hour.
"Video game violence is not a new problem. Who could forget in the wake of SimCity how children everywhere took up urban planning." - Stephen Colbert
Well there is no comparison to Chicago traffic anywhere in Omaha. What I do see in the morning (heading westbound, thank goodness) is I80 often stacked up to the county line from L street. It's a bottleneck that won't improve unless this work is done.
The Giles/Harrison exit is actually in County #59. Once you cross the bridge over the creek then you're in County #1. But I think it's a good idea they're doing this. Are they going to add a 4th lane to westbound I-80 from Q to Giles/Harrison? Make the merger of the C/D lane the 4th lane for westbound I-80 and then have it exit at Giles/Harrison?
mrsticka wrote:The Giles/Harrison exit is actually in County #59. Once you cross the bridge over the creek then you're in County #1. But I think it's a good idea they're doing this. Are they going to add a 4th lane to westbound I-80 from Q to Giles/Harrison? Make the merger of the C/D lane the 4th lane for westbound I-80 and then have it exit at Giles/Harrison?
