What about Lstreet?

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:39 am

With transportation discussions generally revolving around the West Dodge freeway and a future outer loop I've got to raise a question about the Lstreet/I-80 interchange. Every Monday morning on my way home from work on westbound 80 I see traffic backed up on eastbound 80 for a couple miles because of the Lstreet interchange taking 80 back to 2lanes and traffic trying to merge back with 80. I was not in Omaha for when this section of 80 was built so can anyone explain why it was designed as such or the history behind it?

OhioStreetKid · Post by **OhioStreetKid** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 1:03 pm

The state has worked on the alpha streets, W. Center Road, 680, & 80 for a majority of my life. They will probably never get it perfect. The reason why they may have made the intersection that way, is they probably thought that most westbound traffic got off at L, I, & Q. Now with westward expansion there is a lot of traffic going to Harrison, and Highways 50 & 370.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:27 pm

Thanks for the response, Ohio, but I think I might have mis-typed what I was trying to say. I'm speaking about the eastbound I-80 at the Lstreet interchange and curious if anyone knows (at the time of construction) why they reduced EB I-80 to two lanes, therefore creating a bottleneck. Also curious if there's any plans to correct it.

OhioStreetKid · Post by **OhioStreetKid** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:38 pm

Ah, I see what you are saying now. But an answer for you I do not have.

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:16 pm

Going on a total guess, I would say it was originally thought that more traffic from eastbound I-80 would be exiting at L Street. Nowadays, it doesn't seem like L Street warrants a two-lane exit. I don't think I-80 having two lanes through the interchange is the problem; like you said, the poorly designed L Street/I-680 merge-exit combination is where the bottleneck occurs. I can't offer a reasoning behind it, but it was most likely lower design standards that lead to the weaving area being so small.

When (because it's inevitable) the I-80 mainlines are widened through these interchanges, I can see the eastbound collector/distributor lanes being completely separate from the mainlines until after the I-680 interchange.

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:50 pm

UNOstudent · Post by **UNOstudent** » Sun Nov 07, 2004 10:37 pm

i was looking at the MAPA website and on their pdf for long term transportation includes widening EB I80 to three thru lanes. i believe omaha needs to at least start setting land aside for a beltway. people dont want a beltway in thier backyard, which i would agree with. so if we set aside land, or build the thing, before development then the ball in the court of the developers and future landowners.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 3:57 pm

UNOstudent wrote

i believe omaha needs to at least start setting land aside for a beltway. people dont want a beltway in thier backyard, which i would agree with. so if we set aside land, or build the thing, before development then the ball in the court of the developers and future landowners.

Here was my sugestion on this site months ago.

Last I heard was 370 was not going to be a freeway, but 2 miles south Plattview Road was going to be a freeway. I think this would be better because there would not be a fight with all of the businesses along 370 that are already established. My Idea would be interstate I880, get it I480, I680.... Start south east of bellevue at I29 cross the river head west on platteview road, go just north of springfield with a major interchange at highway 50 and also west of there at I80, start to turn to the north and go around the south and west side of Gretna, turn north and run between Elkhorn and Waterloo, with major interchanges at all the major streets(Q, maple, Dodge, Etc.) start to turn to the east, hitting Bennington and Blair, crossing the Missouri river and Having a major interchange with I680 and I29 at Missouri Valley. Then head south and hook up with the east end of Council Bluffs and finally meet back up at the start just south east of Bellevue. You would also need some connector freeways to connect some places like a making military or blair high road a freeway

UNOstudent · Post by **UNOstudent** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:06 pm

brad, could not have said it better myself. also i would like to add i think the sw section of the beltway should start curving nw near 168th/platteview and slice between gretna and a point near 204th and harrison and then meet up w/ hwy275. this would elimnate such a box and cut the distance from valley to bellevue. also a road that goes north and south from just east of the platte from i80 would meet up w/ the beltway when it meets w/ 275. so it would kind of form a triangle w/ gretna in the middle. i hope that all made sense........

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:09 pm

I would think that something like that would at least be "in the planning stages". How could it not be being considered? Well, then again, Nebraska highway planning isn't the most forward thinking or progressive.

UNOstudent · Post by **UNOstudent** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 11:14 pm

i sure hope so. it is nebraska and from what my parents have told me is that they seem to do it right, but its often too late. i'm glad that they built the qwest center, but they didnt do it right the first time by not having enough seats. it doest need to be 20,000 like the united center, but maybe around 18,500. but i'm sure thats another topic that you guys have long discussed

Post by **Brad** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 3:04 pm

but i'm sure thats another topic that you guys have long discussed

MANY TIMES