What is the Harris Overpass?

Harris Overpass is the vital connection that carries "O" Street over the Haymarket area and rail yards between 3rd and 9th streets. Built in 1955, it was named after John Harris in appreciation for his donation of the land that became Pioneers Park.

How long will construction last?

Because the bridge will be torn down all at once, the length of construction is estimated at about a year. Financial incentives for the contractor to complete the project early -- and disincentives for completing it late -- will be written into the contract but are not currently included in this schedule estimate.

Are you going to close the overpass completely during construction?

Yes. This decision was made after an extensive community input process. Safety, business impacts, traffic impacts, cost, and duration are factors that were considered when determining whether the bridge should be closed or remain open to traffic. Closing the bridge will result in a cost savings of $5 million and reduce construction duration by half. For more information on this decision click here.

How will vehicle and pedestrian traffic be detoured during construction?

Traffic will be detoured along two major routes. A south route will be via Homestead Expressway (U.S. Highway 77) through the newly constructed "K" & "L" Interchange, Rosa Parks Way, "K" or "L" Streets, and 9th or 10th Streets. A north route will be via Sun Valley Boulevard (U.S. Highway 6), Charleston, 1st Street, Cornhusker Highway, Interstate 180 and 9th or 10th Streets. Local access will be provided to the businesses east of Sun Valley. Pedestrian traffic will travel north on 8th Street to the Haymarket Trail and follow the pedestrian bridge to Haymarket Park. Pedestrians will then turn west to connect with the Salt Valley Levee Trail taking that south to West "O" Street.

• Go here for a detour map (pdf).

Why does the overpass need to be replaced?

The existing structure has a steel-plate, riveted girder-style frame. Nearly 50 years of de-icing salts and exposure have resulted in deterioration and distress to the structure. While it is still safe to carry traffic, it has a low-enough bridge rating that it qualifies for Federal bridge replacement funds, rather than rehabilitation funds.

How much life does the overpass have left? Can we delay this project?

The overpass is systematically inspected every two years, tracking deterioration and distress on the structure. While it is difficult to predict when the damage will get to the point of load restrictions or perhaps even require closure, the purpose of the Federal Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program is to provide replacement funds before bridge failure becomes imminent. Any major improvements to the bridge would make it ineligible for Federal funding for 10 years. Because the current condition of the Harris Overpass meets the Federal replacement criteria, which are more stringent than rehabilitation criteria, it should be replaced as soon as possible.

How much will the new overpass cost, and how is it funded?

The construction cost for the new bridge is $18 million. That funding comes mostly through the Federal Bridge Replacement Program, with the Railroad Transportation Safety District providing the local match.

Where will the overpass touch down?

Current plans are to keep the east touch down at 9th Street. The west touch down will remain approximately where it is today near the 4th Street corridor, but the project limit will end at 2nd Street.

How will the new bridge affect the buildings in the Haymarket?

A priority of this project is to preserve the integrity of the Haymarket, including the nearby historic buildings. The proposed profile of the future bridge is wider than the existing bridge, and the space for construction activities between the buildings is limited. Because the buildings in the Haymarket have special historic designation, an environmental review was conducted for this project. This review helped the project team fully understand the impacts and explore ways to reduce those impacts. See the below links for information on the future width of the bridge and the historical review process.

• Future Bridge
  These are displays from the Dec. 5th, 2006 meeting showing the potential width of the bridge at the 9th & "O" turn lanes and west of the turn lanes.
• Historic Review
  Dec. 5th, 2006 meeting displays explaining the historic review process and the historically significant properties in the Haymarket.

How is this coordinated with plans to build the K & L Interchange? To improve Sun Valley Boulevard?

Construction on the new Harris Overpass could not begin until the K & L Interchange was complete. Sun Valley Boulevard is currently being studied by the Nebraska Department of Roads, in coordination with the City, but any construction called for by that study is not planned until after 2012.

Can you spruce up West "O" Street as a part of this project?

The funding sources of this project limit it in scope to the actual length of the bridge. There are other opportunities for funding enhancements to West "O" Street, similar to the recent enhancements to North 27th Street, which the City's Urban Development Department is helping to identify.

Can you do anything about the pigeon problem beneath the bridge?

A corrugated steel encasement will be installed along the underside of the bridge to prevent the birds from roosting on the girders. The encasement will be included in areas where people are present below, and may be added as potential development proceeds west.

Who makes the final decision on the bridge?

By law, the City (primarily the Department of Public Works and Utilities) owns the bridge and is responsible for the structure's viability, cost and safety. Because of this, the City is the decision maker for the project. The Department of Public Works and Utilities will take into consideration input from the community to develop the structure's themes and amenities, and has undertaken a public participation program to garner this input.

Can you build a new bridge next to the existing structure to keep traffic open completely?

This would be too difficult to tie the structure back into 3rd and 9th streets, and would likely impact the historic buildings in the Haymarket, which the project team is trying to avoid.

Will the overpass be more attractive? How will it fit in with Downtown, the Haymarket and West "O" Street?

Designing a new overpass presents tremendous opportunities to benefit not only the immediate areas of Downtown, Haymarket and West "O" Street but also all of our citizens and visitors who stop and travel through the area. The new structure will be more attractive and fit in with the identity already established in Downtown and the Haymarket. The public participation process has helped determine how to accomplish this.

How will the location of a possible new Downtown arena affect this project?

Representatives from the City and The Schemmer Associates have met with representatives of the West Haymarket Study, who have been studying a potential arena site and further development of the rail yards. They have looked at the feasibility of this development and determined that the Harris Overpass project would not conflict with those conceptual plans. It is important to note that while some storage rail lines could potentially be relocated and open up land for development, the main rail lines will remain, and more could be added.