South Highway 75/Missouri River Bridge Construction

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:07 pm

Omaha World Herald wrote: Opinions sought on site for new Bellevue bridge

The public will be asked in two meetings this weekfor its opinions on the proposed route for a new Bellevue bridge and on the draft statement about its environmental impact.

The four-lane bridge over the Missouri River most likely will connect Mills County, Iowa, to southern Bellevue. Another bridge is being built in Plattsmouth.

Iowa Department of Transportation officials want to finalize the route of the Bellevue bridge within the next year or so, said John Selmer, District 4 engineer.

The department's preferred route would cross near La Platte and connect with a road that runs south of Platteview Road. This route comes off Iowa Highway 34 at the Glenwood exit.

The department's second choice would be a crossing south of Offutt Air Force Base that would connect with Fairview Road. This crossing is north of the preferred route.

Both routes would connect with Interstate 29 in Iowa and Highway 75 in Nebraska.

Selmer hopes construction on the bridge will begin around 2008 or 2009, but he said that timeline is "very optimistic."

The first meeting will be held between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Days Inn, 1811 Hillcrest Drive in Bellevue.

The second meeting will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Glenwood Resource Center, in Building 110.

No formal presentation will be made, but the Transportation Department will present displays and related information. The same information will be discussed at both meetings.

almighty_tuna · Post by **almighty_tuna** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:44 pm

Hopefully this going to be "Interstate Style" to provide another southern freeway crossing for traffic which, in the future, would take a southern loop to 80.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 8:49 am

I know at one time that both IA DOT and NE DOR were looking at the preferred alignment as a possible re-routing of Hwy 34, so that Hwy 34 travelers wouldn't have to make the several mile jog on I-29 to continue east/west, as well as avoid Plattsmouth. This was probably 7-8 year ago. This still may be the goal of the preferred alignment (and it makes sense).

I would imagine this would be done to freeway standards, as the current Hwy 34 is a freeway design from I-29 east to Glenwood. This would also make a few people with business and land interests at that I-29 interchange very happy.

CountOfMC · Post by **CountOfMC** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:51 pm

I thought the idea was to build in anticipation of future growth and demand. I think you need to make this thing 6 lanes... don't make the mistake of building another I-80 over the Missouri, and then 10 years later realize you should've built it bigger. Wow that's a familiar theme.

I-480 over the Missouri into downtown should serve as an example, but what do I know.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 8:46 pm

Speaking of bridges....

And maybe I've mentioned this before....

But you know what occured to me? If they're expanding I-80 between Lincoln and Omaha to 6 lanes the whole way, well that definitely means that the Platte River bridge will have to be replaced.

Wouldn't it be AWESOME if they built some big landmark suspension bridge or something?

Anyway, it won't happen. I haven't even heard the issue mentioned. Since it's the Nebraska DOT I'm sure we'll get a nice, utilitarian, drab, concrete structure that's exactly the same as what's there, plus two lanes.

j4nu · Post by **j4nu** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 10:47 pm

Great idea Streets, it would be a perfect spot to add a touch of character to an already beautiful spot.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:02 am

Sounds like more impetus for Glenwood acreages.

Omaha World Herald wrote: Far south Sarpy site more likely for bridge

COUNCIL BLUFFS - Larry Winum hopes he'll be able to cross the Missouri River directly into Sarpy County from his home in Glenwood, Iowa, within four years.

The co-chairman of the Southwest Iowa Coalition's Transportation Committee is fairly certain that a bridge connecting Interstate 29 in Iowa and U.S. Highway 75 in Nebraska will be built near the Interstate's Glenwood exit.

"Unless something environmental happens that really throws it out, it'll be done," Winum said Saturday at a press conference with U.S. Reps. Lee Terry and Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska and Steve King of Iowa.

Currently, residents of Mills County, Iowa, and southern Sarpy County must either go several miles north to cross at Bellevue or Council Bluffs bridges, or several miles south to cross at Plattsmouth, Neb.

Construction of the bridge, which would extend U.S. Highway 34 west from Glenwood across the Missouri River to connect with U.S. Highway 75 north of LaPlatte Road, is expected to begin within two years, the congressmen said. They said they expect construction to take two years.

That's more ambitious than a timeline provided by the Iowa Department of Transportation, which said construction on the bridge would begin in 2008 or 2009.

The southern Sarpy site has been chosen by the department as well as the congressmen as the preferred alternative of two bridge proposals for the area between the existing Plattsmouth and Bellevue toll bridges.

A final decision on the site is pending.

The other proposed site is south of Offutt Air Force Base. That route would connect Highway 75 at Fairview Road with Interstate 29 about four miles north of the Glenwood exit. The bridge would cross the Missouri River about two miles north of Papillion Creek.

Although nearly a mile longer at 6.7 miles, the southern Sarpy route is expected to cost about 25 percent less than the Offutt alternative because the Offutt route would require an additional bridge across Papillion Creek and a new interchange at I-29.

The southern route also avoids the demolition of any existing homes.
Click To Enlarge
From left, U.S. Reps. Jeff Fortenberry and Lee Terry of Nebraska join with U.S. Rep. Steve King of Iowa to scout locations for a proposed bridge to link Highway 75 in Nebraska to Interstate 29 in Iowa.

The southern Sarpy bridge and Highway 34 between the Glenwood interchange and Highway 75 would be four lanes.

King said the southern location makes more sense and is preferred by most area residents. It would spur economic development in Mills and Sarpy Counties and benefit all of southwest Iowa and eastern and central Nebraska, he said.

"This project opens up the entire region," King said.

The Department of Transportation has been considering a connection between I-29 and Highway 75 in the area since 1993. Terry said the project was delayed because Nebraska and Iowa had trouble finding a bridge location that would meet the needs of both states.

In 2000, the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Nebraska Department of Roads agreed to pursue two bridges - one north of the Platte River serving Bellevue and one south of the Platte River serving Plattsmouth.

A two-lane bridge in Plattsmouth will replace the current dilapidated toll bridge over the Missouri River. It will be built in essentially the same place and be designated "Business U.S. 34." The Bellevue toll bridge will remain open.

Both new bridges are part of the same project and are expected to cost a combined $90 million. Cost for the southern Sarpy bridge is estimated at $60 million.

Drivers won't have to pay a toll to cross the new bridges. Federal funds are expected to pay for 80 percent of the project, while Nebraska and Iowa each would pay 10 percent.

Ingersoll1978 · Post by **Ingersoll1978** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 1:09 pm

That's where my family lives for the most part. They will definately like the easier access to Bellevue. I'm just wondering why they would take US 34 up through Sarpy County and then back down, unless they have a different idea for US 34 alignment to Lincoln.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 3:08 pm

I think that there needs to be more emphasis on widening I-80 going by the zoo and stadium and heading into the bluffs. This is very badly needed. City planners need to realize that the area is dramatically growing and that they need to plan for the future not just right now. That is the biggest problem with all the planners in the local area. Too much emphasis on what can only be accomplished now rather than being dreamers and hoping, planning, and making bigger things happen.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 4:26 pm

skinzfan23 wrote:I think that there needs to be more emphasis on widening I-80 going by the zoo and stadium and heading into the bluffs. This is very badly needed. City planners need to realize that the area is dramatically growing and that they need to plan for the future not just right now. That is the biggest problem with all the planners in the local area. Too much emphasis on what can only be accomplished now rather than being dreamers and hoping, planning, and making bigger things happen.

Very true, but this is a problem larger than city planners. IA is on track to widen I-80 between the two I-29 interchanges, so then the bottleneck becomes the stretch from I-480 east to I-29. I know the talk has been to widen the I-80 bridges, but I haven't heard anything definite, or anything about widening the stretch from the river to I-480.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:10 pm

Can't believe that this didn't already have its own thread, it's mentioned in about a dozen other threads, but not its own, just as well start one.

Mills County U.S. 34 bridge improvements get a boost

Sen. Tom Harkin announced Friday that the Iowa Department of Transportation received $226,308 to work on approaches for the new U.S. Highway 34 bridge, including work on the U.S. 34 and Interstate 29 interchange in Mills County.

To the best of my knowledge, construction start on the bridge across the Missouri is still slated for 2011.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:43 pm

Thread revival:

Leaders push bridge project

Bellevue Leader wrote:The proposed Highway 34 connector that would run just north of La Platte Road and connect to Highway 75 at a relocated Platteview Road interchange would turn land that is largely agricultural right now into prime industrial property likely to attract hundreds of millions of dollars in investment and create thousands of new jobs. But after rumors that the Nebraska Department of Roads was going to pull funding for the project surfaced a couple of weeks ago, efforts are being made to show that the bridge is vital not just to Bellevue, but to the entire region.

Allan_Love_Jr · Post by **Allan_Love_Jr** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:21 am

I'll be dead and in my grave before they even turn over their first shovel of dirt. If they really wanted to build this. They should stop wasting time talking about it and do it. Stop the talk and do something about it.

the1wags · Post by **the1wags** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 11:26 pm

Better get that cemetery plot bought Allen.

"The Nebraska Department of Roads has made a Highway 34 bridge and connector project south of Bellevue a priority project for 2011."

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100331/N ... t-gets-nod

S33 · Post by **S33** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 12:23 am

the1wags wrote:Better get that cemetery plot bought Allen.

"The Nebraska Department of Roads has made a Highway 34 bridge and connector project south of Bellevue a priority project for 2011."

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100331/N ... t-gets-nod

Wow, starting in July? And this "configuration", is it going to be non-stop, freeway type travel between I29 and 75? I've not heard much about this project till now.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:57 am

S33 wrote:
the1wags wrote:Better get that cemetery plot bought Allen.

"The Nebraska Department of Roads has made a Highway 34 bridge and connector project south of Bellevue a priority project for 2011."

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100331/N ... t-gets-nod
Wow, starting in July? And this "configuration", is it going to be non-stop, freeway type travel between I29 and 75? I've not heard much about this project till now.

It won't entirely be a freeway style road. Here is the project page:
http://www.dor.state.ne.us/projects/bel ... /index.htm
You will need to download the DjVu plug-in to see the drawn aerial view of where the road and intersections will be.

I hope Coreslab and my company get the bridge beams in the bid since we are both right next to where this bridge will be.

windsor · Post by **windsor** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:19 pm

Looks like the first step in the southern beltway. It will be nice to have alternatives when navigating through the metro area.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:21 pm

Crews Begin New Bridge Over Missouri

KETV wrote: Crews broke ground on a new Highway 34 bridge that will span the Missouri River near Plattsmouth. The bridge will be completed in 2013 and replace the current two-lane toll bridge.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 1:20 pm

Here are a few renderings I sketched up based on Sarpy County GIS Property lines found at: http://maps.sarpy.com/sims20/

1. East of Highway 75

2. West of highway 75

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:22 pm

You're almost on the money with those drawings. But, at the east end of laplatte rd. where it meets harlan lewis road, it won't be on and off ramps.

Post by **Brad** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 4:49 pm

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been in the area several times. Here is what I have seen.

1. All Trees along Highway 75 have been removed from Platteview south to LaPlatte.
2. A huge hill is being removed next to Highway 75 just west of LaPlatte.
3. Grading has begun from Highway 75, around the north side of LaPlatte all the way to the Missouri River.
4. A new bridge is well underway for the new road to cross over both the UP and BNSF rail lines.
5. Shoulder work underway from the LaPlatte to the Platte River.
6. Dirt Work underway east of highway 75, south of the Platte River (Oreapolis).

To me it looks like they are flying, however I have heard the rain has really slowed them down.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:16 pm

Brad wrote:Over the past couple of weeks, I have been in the area several times. Here is what I have seen.

1. All Trees along Highway 75 have been removed from Platteview south to LaPlatte.
2. A huge hill is being removed next to Highway 75 just west of LaPlatte.
3. Grading has begun from Highway 75, around the north side of LaPlatte all the way to the Missouri River.
4. A new bridge is well underway for the new road to cross over both the UP and BNSF rail lines.
5. Shoulder work underway from the LaPlatte to the Platte River.
6. Dirt Work underway east of highway 75, south of the Platte River (Oreapolis).

To me it looks like they are flying, however I have heard the rain has really slowed them down.

Yep, the rain has definitely been slowing them down. So far, they were only able to work part of Monday this week. We are scheduled to haul in the bridge girders for the bridge over the train tracks sometime around June. That bridge is high priority so the scrapers can go back and forth across the tracks.

The shoulder work is being done so there can be a left turn lane for southbound traffic when they change it to head-to-head traffic. This will definitely get interesting for us since we bring oversize loads and bridge girders out of Coreslab and our own lot all the time.

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:26 am

Ugh when will they ever learn. It should be a freeway built to Interstate standards.

fbx · Post by **fbx** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:37 am

omaja wrote:Ugh when will they ever learn. It should be a freeway built to Interstate standards.

The head-to-head traffic is not permanent. They are doing that so they can re-do the highway on each side of 75.

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 7:49 am

I was speaking more generally about the lack of controlled-access interchanges. Looks like everything will be at-grade intersections along the route. I'm hoping at least the bridge part is up to Interstate standards in anticipation of future growth.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:31 am

omaja wrote:I was speaking more generally about the lack of controlled-access interchanges. Looks like everything will be at-grade intersections along the route. I'm hoping at least the bridge part is up to Interstate standards in anticipation of future growth.

Not sure where you saw that, but it will all be interchanges (no at-grade crossings) all way past Bay Road:
http://www.nebraskatransportation.org/p ... /index.htm

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:03 am

Sorry for not being clear, it's been an early morning. :;): I was referring to the new bridge and approach for US-34 to US-75, not US-75 itself. I got a little ahead of myself while looking at the images and then not quoting what I was talking about.

It would ideally form the southern part of a beltway, but from the looks of it NDOR isn't really thinking that far into the future.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:07 am

omaja wrote:Sorry for not being clear, it's been an early morning. :;): I was referring to the new bridge and approach for US-34 to US-75, not US-75 itself. I got a little ahead of myself while looking at the images and then not quoting what I was talking about.

It would ideally form the southern part of a beltway, but from the looks of it NDOR isn't really thinking that far into the future.

True, it looks like Platteview will just become another Highway 370... I agree it should be upgraded to a full freeway.

Turtle9160 · Post by **Turtle9160** » Fri May 13, 2011 3:35 pm

I agree, I had thought that it was suppose to be part of the southern beltway they proposed building a few months back it would make sense to build it with inter changes so they could save so.e on the belt way later on if they built it

mgsports · Post by **mgsports** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:17 am

That's it's I think because it will go over Highway 75.

Post by **Brad** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 3:50 pm

mgsports wrote:What do you know about East/West connection they are building between Nebraska City/Omaha? It looks like it's close to Water?

Can you narrow down you question a little? The East West Construction that comes to my mind is the connection to the new Missouri River Bridge between Bellevue and LaPlatte.

Edagger · Post by **Edagger** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:08 pm

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Two_ ... 57453.html

www.wowt.com wrote:This announcement came late Friday morning through the Nebraska Department of Roads. A new project will begin next spring along US-75.

From the Platte River bridges south through Avenue B in Plattsmouth, about four miles of Highway 75 will be reconstructed to freeway and expressway standards, including a new interchange at Bay Road.”

Post by **Brad** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:11 am

I know projects are broken up to phases, but I am sure they were doing some preliminary grading work on this before the floods hit just south east of Bay Road.

nativeomahan · Post by **nativeomahan** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 11:54 pm

The metro Omaha area has just received newly updated aerial photography from Google Earth. It is from early March, 2012. The new connector highway from I29/Glenwood to US 75 at LaPlatte is very clearly delineated. You can see the roadway route and the beginnings of the Missouri River bridge.

Post by **Brad** » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:43 am

I was done there yesterday. There are parts of that projects that are completely unrecognizable. The landscape around Bay road is undergoing a massive change right now.

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:47 pm

nativeomahan wrote:The metro Omaha area has just received newly updated aerial photography from Google Earth. It is from early March, 2012. The new connector highway from I29/Glenwood to US 75 at LaPlatte is very clearly delineated. You can see the roadway route and the beginnings of the Missouri River bridge.

Wow I noticed that too....looking at development downtown you can see that the building at 12th & Howard has the steel in, Zesto's is well on it's way and out west TD Ameritrade has almost all the floors of glass in. Great to finally see this updated, since the old aerials were from a few years ago and a lot has changed in Omaha in particular in the past 3-4 years.

iamjacobm · Post by **iamjacobm** » Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:03 am

skinzfan23 wrote:
nativeomahan wrote:The metro Omaha area has just received newly updated aerial photography from Google Earth. It is from early March, 2012. The new connector highway from I29/Glenwood to US 75 at LaPlatte is very clearly delineated. You can see the roadway route and the beginnings of the Missouri River bridge.
Wow I noticed that too....looking at development downtown you can see that the building at 12th & Howard has the steel in, Zesto's is well on it's way and out west TD Ameritrade has almost all the floors of glass in. Great to finally see this updated, since the old aerials were from a few years ago and a lot has changed in Omaha in particular in the past 3-4 years.

Go look at Lincoln. You can see right into the bowl of the new arena.

Post by **BRoss** » Fri May 04, 2012 9:18 am

U.S. 34 bridge year behind schedule

Andrew J. Nelson, World-Herald Staff Writer wrote:The opening date of the $61 million U.S. Highway 34 bridge has been set back a year. Previously projected to open in late 2013, that has now been pushed back to late 2014, said George Feazell, the Iowa Department of Transportation's district construction engineer for southwest Iowa.

vargas · Post by **vargas** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:33 pm

The whole 8 mile stretch from Platteview Road to Plattsmouth is really going to see growth once this whole project is complete in 2015. Finally, I think we will see the industry come to the Plattsmouth area that they have been hoping for.

LookingGlass · Post by **LookingGlass** » Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:32 am

They've got all 4 lanes open again down to Laplatte. Lot's of changes between the river and Plattsmouth.