Get ready, Lincoln, a new bridge is rising Downtown.

It's time to replace a vitally important piece of Lincoln's transportation system -- the overpass that carries "O" Street over the rail yards and the Haymarket District, from 3rd to 9th Streets. It is officially named the Harris Overpass, in honor of a Lincoln man who donated land to the City for Pioneers Park.

The bridge has undergone significant deterioration and qualifies for federal bridge replacement funds.

Over its 50 years of existence, we may not have known its name, but we have come to know very well its dominating presence. We know it as the link between Downtown and West "O" Street and the "thump-thumps" of vehicles passing over its joints. We know it as shelter for Haymarket parking -- as well as for pigeons. We know the pedestrian-friendly hubbub below is a stark contrast to the thoroughfare of traffic above, both in sights and sounds.

Outside of fulfilling the functional requirements for a new bridge, the Harris Overpass Replacement Project presents other opportunities -- opportunities that will give Lincolnites a reason to know its name. The City invites you to become a part of this project, which will literally build upon the successful Haymarket, and redefine the passageway between West "O" to Downtown.