I-80 As It Enters Omaha

[mrsticka]

You know how just after entering Douglas County and Omaha, I-80 veers north up towards L Street? Well, just as it descends toward Q, it takes a slight turn about 10 or 20 degrees right. Before it was widened in the late 90's, that section used to be straight. Why they added that little turn I don't know. It probably wasn't intentional, but it's there. I never really felt it was necessary. So I tried straightening out that little section of I-80.

I know what some of you are probably thinking; It’s not a big deal. And yes, you’d be right. But I just wanted to see how that section of I-80 would look if it was still straight.

Here you go:

[Louie]

I don’t see a difference between the two pictures. Did I miss something?

[mrsticka]

I was afraid of that. Okay, I circled the part I'm talking about. Or should I say ovaled. Ha ha ha. That should help.

[Brad]

You know how just after entering Douglas County and Omaha, I-80 veers north up towards L Street? Well, just as it descends toward Q, it takes a slight turn about 10 or 20 degrees right. Before it was widened in the late 90's, that section used to be straight. Why they added that little turn I don't know. It probably wasn't intentional, but it's there. I never really felt it was necessary. So I tried straightening out that little section of I-80.

First off, everything is intentional when it comes to modern roadway design....

My guess is the small kink is there because of topography. So many things in the Omaha area are designed the way they are because of the topography of the land. The Sate of Nebraska Department of Transportation has standards about what happens in the grass areas outside the actual roadway. They basically say the first "X" number of feet from the highway should look like "this" and then the next "X" number of feet should look like "this". My guess is the small Kink is there to avoid buying extra land or building a retaining wall, both are very expensive. I don't do highway design so I don't know all the requirements. However when I am laying out a site, I can't have any grass slope exceed 3:1 or 33.3333% If the highway designer can kink the road to keep the grass on the side under the maximum slope, they will.

Remember, public works is not about making the best design, its about making a safe design that uses the least amount of taxpayer dollars... AKA, "Best Bang for the Buck"

[mrsticka]

Well, I just never saw the need for it. The terrain there certainly isn't unstable. And I don't think I-80 would be less safe if that "kink" wasn't there.

[NEDodger]

Well, I just never saw the need for it. The terrain there certainly isn't unstable. And I don't think I-80 would be less safe if that "kink" wasn't there.

No offense, but I will take the word of the guy associated with this kind of work who can cite regulatory requirements, over feelings….

[mrsticka]

Well, I just never saw the need for it. The terrain there certainly isn't unstable. And I don't think I-80 would be less safe if that "kink" wasn't there.

No offense, but I will take the word of the guy associated with this kind of work who can cite regulatory requirements, over feelings….

Go right ahead. But I don't just consider my feelings when I do these things.

[GenX]

Likely done to avoid a noise wall on the eastern side, thereby blocking the view of those businesses.

[mrsticka]

Well, like I said before I-80 was widened in that area in the late 90’s, that section was totally straight.

[nativeomahan]

Sorry, but even as someone who drove this stretch of roadway for the better part of 35 years nearly daily (actually twice daily), on the top 1000 list of things that make me go “huh” this comes in at about 157,114.
What I do scratch my head at is why they didn’t continue a 4th westbound lane from the westbound “Q” Street entrance ramp on out to the Giles/Harrison interchange. It would have eased traffic a lot on that stretch of roadway, and perhaps permitted dual exit lanes at Giles/Harrison.

[Busguy2010]

I always hated this section, for, if you miss the access road exit, you're on the hook between Center and Harrison. I never got why, of any stretch of interstate in Omaha, any of them had to be divided like this one. Bad design in my book.

[mrsticka]

My best guess is because of the L Street interchange being a cloverleaf one and most cloverleaf interchanges have collector/distributor roads. Not to mention there's the I-680 interchange just right next to it. I can see why they extended the C/D roads up to it. To increase capacity.

Speaking of "kinks". There's another one on I-680 on the north end of the West Center exit. Before the C/D roads were extended up to it in the late 90's, that also used to be a straight part of road in that area. But considering the development of that area, the houses and all, putting in those little kinks couldn't be helped for obvious reasons.

[Brad]

it takes a slight turn about 10 or 20 degrees right.

Its only 2.7 Degrees to the right.

Well, I just never saw the need for it. The terrain there certainly isn't unstable.

Its not about the stability of the terrane, its about the maintainability. Don't want the tractor mowing the grass rolling down the hill.

Likely done to avoid a noise wall on the eastern side, thereby blocking the view of those businesses.

I don't believe they use sound walls for industrial areas, only when the interstate is adjacent to residential.

The more I look at this, I'm very confident this "kink" was done for grading purposes. Also, I think of a kink as a sharp point, this is about a 10,000' radius, which is basically nothing for an interstate. I would guess 99.9% of the population wouldn't even notice it.

Aerial Map

I80-AERIAL.jpg

Profile if you were standing in the middle of I80, at the point of intersection looking north:

I80-PROFILE.jpg

[Athomsfere]

Speaking of "kinks".

I was a little concerned over where that was heading...

I've always wondered what the heck the story is around the Center I80 off and on ramps.

Why is this little thing there and never used?

[Brad]

Speaking of "kinks".

I was a little concerned over where that was heading...

I've always wondered what the heck the story is around the Center I80 off and on ramps.

Why is this little thing there and never used?

It was used when it first opened, but the state decided too many people were using it as a short cut.

[nativeomahan]

I used to use that ramp all the time on my way from 80 East to Pacific Street. For at least 10 years they have had “Temporary” barrels blocking anyone from using that small stretch of pavement. I could resort to an earthy colloquialism to indicate that the State Department of Transportation should, umm, fish or cut bait and either remove the barrels and open the ramp or tear it out and plant grass seed. They just seem so unwilling to make a permanent decision. It just looks dumb as it is.

[Brad]

I used to use that ramp all the time on my way from 80 East to Pacific Street. For at least 10 years they have had “Temporary” barrels blocking anyone from using that small stretch of pavement. I could resort to an earthy colloquialism to indicate that the State Department of Transportation should, umm, fish or cut bait and either remove the barrels and open the ramp or tear it out and plant grass seed. They just seem so unwilling to make a permanent decision. It just looks dumb as it is.

Well they did temporarily re-open it during bridge construction several years ago. The thought was they could temporarily open it if there was a wreck on the mainline I80, but I have never seen that happen.

[BRoss]

I used to use that ramp all the time on my way from 80 East to Pacific Street. For at least 10 years they have had “Temporary” barrels blocking anyone from using that small stretch of pavement. I could resort to an earthy colloquialism to indicate that the State Department of Transportation should, umm, fish or cut bait and either remove the barrels and open the ramp or tear it out and plant grass seed. They just seem so unwilling to make a permanent decision. It just looks dumb as it is.

As Brad mentioned, they like to keep this here so they have an alternative when doing construction.

I agree on the barrels - I've always wanted to see something less temporary looking. Like why not put those movable concrete barriers there instead of something that looks like it's under construction all the time?

[Garrett]

I used to use that ramp all the time on my way from 80 East to Pacific Street. For at least 10 years they have had “Temporary” barrels blocking anyone from using that small stretch of pavement. I could resort to an earthy colloquialism to indicate that the State Department of Transportation should, umm, fish or cut bait and either remove the barrels and open the ramp or tear it out and plant grass seed. They just seem so unwilling to make a permanent decision. It just looks dumb as it is.

As Brad mentioned, they like to keep this here so they have an alternative when doing construction.

I agree on the barrels - I've always wanted to see something less temporary looking. Like why not put those movable concrete barriers there instead of something that looks like it's under construction all the time?

Barrels are just much safer to crash into. Probably some regulation that they either have to completely close it or use a safe temporary barrier in case people get confused

[mrsticka]

Before I-680 was widened, there used to be plain traditional street lights at the West Center exit. But now there are high mast lights there like most other exits.

What if I-80 had high mast lights along its exits between the I-680 and I-480 interchanges? That includes 84th, 72nd, 60th and 42nd Streets? Exits 448, 449, 450 and 451.

[nebugeater]

Before I-680 was widened, there used to be plain traditional street lights at the West Center exit. But now there are high mast lights there like most other exits.

What if I-80 had high mast lights along its exits between the I-680 and I-480 interchanges? That includes 84th, 72nd, 60th and 42nd Streets? Exits 448, 449, 450 and 451.

Simple answer
Then the lights would be different than what they are now.

[mrsticka]

Before I-680 was widened, there used to be plain traditional street lights at the West Center exit. But now there are high mast lights there like most other exits.

What if I-80 had high mast lights along its exits between the I-680 and I-480 interchanges? That includes 84th, 72nd, 60th and 42nd Streets? Exits 448, 449, 450 and 451.

Simple answer
Then the lights would be different than what they are now.

Simple enough.

[mrsticka]

Now that I think about it, there are a couple of other "kinks" on I-80 at the 42nd and 13th Street exits. But they've been there for years, if not decades.