Omaha Streetcar - CONSTRUCTION

[skinzfan23]

----THIS THREAD IS FOR CONSTRUCTION ONLY----

According to the recent streetcar online presentation, the vehicle maintenance facility should be breaking ground this upcoming week.

[locoluke]

Earthwork at the vehicle maintenance facility

[Brad]

Earthwork at the vehicle maintenance facility

They tore out part of Lot A for that (RED). You can see the old parking attendant shelter just to the right of where they tore out the lot and driveway.

The new entrance to lot A is circled in Green.

IMG-7816.jpg

[Brad]

Photo Update:

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2.

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[Athomsfere]

These pictures bring my heart slightly into my throat. So exciting to see work getting done for transit.

[Dusty]

I know... it's so exciting to see it start! Maybe we can have a mini parade of 3 Olley the Trolley's drive past the site.
Kazoos and confetti poppers. LOL!

[Athomsfere]

I know... it's so exciting to see it start! Maybe we can have a mini parade of 3 Olley the Trolley's drive past the site.
Kazoos and confetti poppers. LOL!

Those are for rent, so you could. Or some party busses might be even more relevant.

[Erik]

For me, this streetcar was almost as long awaited as the metro hitting 1,000,000. So im just as celebratory for this as anything, the numbers, the scrapers etc...

Another major, major milestone we all have longed for is finally being confirmed.

I'm a little drunk this year from all the milestone celebrations. This year is sneaking up as one of a corner for the next stage (previous was in the 1990s).

[skinzfan23]

Feel the same way. It’s like watching a kid grow up…always knew what they are capable of and now the rest of the world can see.

[stadsborgare]

They painted the dirt white!

[jjjjhskr]

Does anyone know when they are supposed to start laying track?

[locoluke]

Does anyone know when they are supposed to start laying track?

They said to expect mainline construction to begin in early 2026 during the May 7 webinar

[stadsborgare]

I-480 is closed both ways this weekend so they can lay the girders for the Harney Street bridge, I read. So that is coming along.

Here's a picture from just a few days ago.

This, and then the Farnam Street bridge must be rebuilt before the track can be laid down over it.

[stadsborgare]

I-480 is closed both ways this weekend so they can lay the girders for the Harney Street bridge, I read. So that is coming along.

Here's a picture from just a few days ago.

This, and then the Farnam Street bridge must be rebuilt before the track can be laid down over it.

[skinzfan23]

Crazy that it already has graffiti and the bridge isn’t even there yet.

[thenewguy]

Crazy that it already has graffiti and the bridge isn’t even there yet.

i was just going to comment on that. I can't stand graffiti.

[locoluke]

When I drove by this afternoon, it looked like they already had the

[skinzfan23]

The bridge span looked to be completely across the highway when we were headed home from the Taste of Omaha on Sat night.

[stadsborgare]

Harney Street bridge

I can visualize the streetcar already.

[lpgforms]

I-480 is closed both ways this weekend so they can lay the girders for the Harney Street bridge, I read. So that is coming along.

Here's a picture from just a few days ago.

This, and then the Farnam Street bridge must be rebuilt before the track can be laid down over it.

Is ATS "The Beeper People" Still in business? I had to explain to my kids what a beeper was!

[ita]

I-480 is closed both ways this weekend so they can lay the girders for the Harney Street bridge, I read. So that is coming along.

Here's a picture from just a few days ago.

This, and then the Farnam Street bridge must be rebuilt before the track can be laid down over it.

Is ATS "The Beeper People" Still in business? I had to explain to my kids what a beeper was!

I just had the same conversation the other week with my kids. They asked "who uses beepers?"

[omaha79]

I-480 is closed both ways this weekend so they can lay the girders for the Harney Street bridge, I read. So that is coming along.

Here's a picture from just a few days ago.

This, and then the Farnam Street bridge must be rebuilt before the track can be laid down over it.

Is ATS "The Beeper People" Still in business? I had to explain to my kids what a beeper was!

I just had the same conversation the other week with my kids. They asked "who uses beepers?"

According to a google search, it's not open anymore. I'm unsure what, if anything, the building is currently being used for.

As soon as I saw this post, I remembered hearing that hospitals and medical facilities still used pagers, but not sure if they still do. That, also, could be old data. that notion was backed up when I searched the web on this business, but again, with old data...

According to a 2016 story on Slate, 85 percent of hospitals still use pagers. The devices (in various forms) have been around since the 1950s. In addition, paging networks are apparently more reliable than cellular networks, and have more broadcast power.

While cellphones and smartphones have cut into sales of pagers, they continue to serve a role in medical, emergency services, and other assorted industries.

I'd wondered if a business like this at any point transitioned to the pagers they give you at restaurants, as it's a similar technology, but it appears this place is gone. i'd love to know when it closed.

[skinzfan23]

Funny that you mentioned that building, my kids look for it every time we get on 480.

[Elkhorn_Urbanist]

I-480 is closed both ways this weekend so they can lay the girders for the Harney Street bridge, I read. So that is coming along.

Here's a picture from just a few days ago.

This, and then the Farnam Street bridge must be rebuilt before the track can be laid down over it.

Is ATS "The Beeper People" Still in business? I had to explain to my kids what a beeper was!

I just had the same conversation the other week with my kids. They asked "who uses beepers?"

According to a google search, it's not open anymore. I'm unsure what, if anything, the building is currently being used for.

As soon as I saw this post, I remembered hearing that hospitals and medical facilities still used pagers, but not sure if they still do. That, also, could be old data. that notion was backed up when I searched the web on this business, but again, with old data...

According to a 2016 story on Slate, 85 percent of hospitals still use pagers. The devices (in various forms) have been around since the 1950s. In addition, paging networks are apparently more reliable than cellular networks, and have more broadcast power.

While cellphones and smartphones have cut into sales of pagers, they continue to serve a role in medical, emergency services, and other assorted industries.

I'd wondered if a business like this at any point transitioned to the pagers they give you at restaurants, as it's a similar technology, but it appears this place is gone. i'd love to know when it closed.

As someone in medicine who recently completed residency, I can attest that pagers are still widely used in the medical community. Damn thing was the bane of my existence. I still have PTSD of it going off in the middle of the night, at the grocery store, on the drive home, really anywhere at all. They are mostly used for providers on-call and in-hospital pages for emergencies like cardiac arrests, strokes, and heart attacks.

[stadsborgare]

Walking through the park today I heard the sound of piles being driven into the ground, so naturally I had to go take a look.

(streetcar maintenance facility site)

[Ben]

Just reading the GrowOmaha weekly newsletter (6/26/25), and it mentions a Kiewit contract amendment with a "substantial completion by August 2029". Last I'd seen was a 2028 in service date (still showing this on omahastreetcar.org), and even that I believe was a slip in timelines from the original 2027 first rides that were discussed earlier...

Sounds like Kiewit may not even get the go ahead to proceed on other construction related activities (outside of the currently in process bridge replacement and utilities relocation) until Jan 2026...

I am wondering what the holdups are. They've already signed for the cars, and even several contracts related to rail pieces if I remember correctly...

[Jins123]

Just saw a OWH article how MUD isn’t getting paid by the city and pulled a crew off the streetcar utility line until they do. Met with Ewing about it.

[skinzfan23]

MUD is a terribly run organization. They are constantly raising rates and fees as well as executives pay. Looking back through all the issues throughout the streetcar development, they have been an absolute pain to deal with. According to the OWH article stated that recent phases of MUD's work have come in at more than twice the original figures. I am sure that the city expects some wavering, but to come in that much over budget, tells you just how poorly it is run. Basically the city is asking that any overrun costs have to be submitted to the city so they can be reviewed and approved (which I think is a fair agreement).

Ultimately it doesn't matter, bc MUD will probably just pass all the costs onto all of us the customers.

[skinzfan23]

Sounds like after meeting with MUD Ewing said that they both are going to communicate better going forward. He is also striving to get more updates out to the public about the streetcar.

The good news is there shouldn’t be any delays and the project is still moving forward.

[stadsborgare]

At this point at the Streetcar Maintenance Facility construction site, they have driven all the piles, and they are about halfway finished filling the piles.

[stadsborgare]

Harney St bridge


I wonder if this area is indicative of where the rail line will be? It would make sense, being a one-way street east-bound, the rail would be on the right while faster car traffic pass on the left.

[GenX]

Harney St bridge


I wonder if this area is indicative of where the rail line will be? It would make sense, being a one-way street east-bound, the rail would be on the right while faster car traffic pass on the left.

Yes, there are extra girders in that location for the streetcar.

[BuildTaller]

Harney St bridge


I wonder if this area is indicative of where the rail line will be? It would make sense, being a one-way street east-bound, the rail would be on the right while faster car traffic pass on the left.

Checkout those glorious sidewalks

[Doctor Fate]

Is it safe to guess that with the bridges being redone, that the I-480 Lid is not happening? Seems like it would've been a more efficient use of time and resources to do the Lid when replacing the bridges.

[Busguy2010]

Is it safe to guess that with the bridges being redone, that the I-480 Lid is not happening? Seems like it would've been a more efficient use of time and resources to do the Lid when replacing the bridges.

The lid is a proposal, the streetcar is happening. Seems like having to wait to figure out the logistics of the lid would only set the streetcar back further. The lid could still happen, it doesn't have to necessarily be physically connected to the bridges.

[PWL73316]

Love the idea of a lid in theory but they are tremendously expensive in the cities that are attempting them.

[Brad]

Harney St bridge


I wonder if this area is indicative of where the rail line will be? It would make sense, being a one-way street east-bound, the rail would be on the right while faster car traffic pass on the left.

Nice! I saw that view in my rear view mirror a while back and been meaning to get back down there, but just been too busy.

[Brad]

I noticed on Sunday there is now burlap between the "rails". Guessing they poured concrete or getting ready to pour concrete in there?

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20250727881A1870.jpg

[remline]

ATS ("The Beeper People") is certainly getting some good advertising in this thread.

[skinzfan23]

Looks like they are pouring this morning: