Now
A Few Clouds
8°
High
32°
Low
24°
Full Forecast

Jobs

Cars

Homes

Rentals

Alerts

Subscribe
Home > News > Local
Bookmark Us   •   Make Us Your Homepage

Harris Overpass to reopen Friday

Comments 25 comment(s)  
E-mail Story E-mail Story
Print Story Print Story
Share  Share
Text Size: 
Tools Sponsor

By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Oct 07, 2008 - 11:05:08 am CDT

For regular users of the Harris Overpass, the news just keeps getting better.

Late last week the city announced it would reopen one lane (in each direction) of the new bridge on Friday.

But now, that’s been expanded and public works director Greg MacLean says all four lanes will reopen Friday at 10 a.m., after a drive-through ribbon-cutting at Ninth and O streets.

Story Photo
The Harris Overpass that connects O Street to west Lincoln closed in November 2007. (LJS File)

Some painting is still left to be done, so expect periodic lane closures over the next month and temporary barrels on the pedestrian trail until a railing is finished.

The Harris Overpass — which carries O Street traffic over railyards and the historic Haymarket District — has been closed for reconstruction for nearly a year.

The original bridge was built in 1954 but was rated “structurally deficient” in a 2007 bridge report, making it eligible for federal replacement funds, which will cover nearly 80 percent of the $18 million cost.

The bridge was scheduled to be substantially complete Nov. 12 and since it will be finished ahead of schedule, the prime contractor, Cramer & Associates of Des Moines, will get $11,000 per day in incentives for finishing early (although they don’t get the full amount on days there are lane closures).

Project Manager Kris Humphrey said the change orders amounted to less than 1 percent of the project cost, which she said is “outstanding.”

The new beige concrete bridge has a flat bottom to deter pigeons, decorative lighting on and below the bridge and fewer piers, allowing for more development below.

“It looks pretty good,” Humphrey said.

The bridge also has infrared cameras that can detect when ice particles form, to alert drivers via the signs on each end of the bridge.

The city also expects to reopen the new Antelope Valley O Street bridge at 22nd Street either late this week or early next week.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


$1 Sunday Delivery - Subscribe Today!
Local > Back to Top of Story

Post Your Comment

Standards and Rules
All posts to JournalStar.com are subject to our Terms and Standards.
Your posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.
(optional)
   
Hide Comments Hide Comments   Newest First Newest First  
Happy wrote on October 7, 2008 11:14 am:
" I'm so happy this is opening early. "

 MarkMark wrote on October 7, 2008 11:16 am:
" I am excited this bridge is opening again. It looks awesome. If I were the engineer, I would have made it 3 lanes in each direction. But I guess we will be happy with it anyway. "

 worn shocks wrote on October 7, 2008 11:37 am:
" Best news I could hear - sick of dodging trains or wasting gas with the detour. "

 Kevin wrote on October 7, 2008 11:47 am:
" Sweet!! "

 WeeTodd wrote on October 7, 2008 11:47 am:
" Oh thank God for the infrared ice cameras! Sometimes in the winter when it's wet, snowy and well below freezing, it's hard to tell if there is ice on a bridge or not. I'm happy my tax dollars went to something so important. "

 rumble grumble gurgle roar wrote on October 7, 2008 11:57 am:
" good news. but, there still appears to be a lot of work left on the west end of the overpass. just went by it this morning... "

 woohoo wrote on October 7, 2008 12:37 pm:
" All I can say is woohoo! "

 Did wrote on October 7, 2008 12:42 pm:
" I am happy about those too. While I am not being facetious, since the simple reminder of ice on the bridge will certainly be the difference from major crashes. I am truly happy that my tax payer dollars are going towards something that will save lives. It may seem like common sense when there is ice; however, the fact still remains that it only takes one mistake to change the fate of a passenger. It is an understatement to say that the new overpass is a great cog for downtown and Lincoln as a whole. "

 Capital Beach Resident wrote on October 7, 2008 12:44 pm:
" Is it Christmas? My birthday? There IS a Santa Claus! "

 But still wrote on October 7, 2008 1:00 pm:
" It's greta that this bridge is opening again. But....NO ONE has said ANYTHING about what will happen when the want the mighty Burlington to "move" their tracks for the construction of that over-touted sports arena that's supposed to be built. Will there be ANOTHER overpass or what are they going to do???? "

 Husker60 wrote on October 7, 2008 1:03 pm:
" While it's good the Harris Overpass is completed well ahead of schedule, the timing of the bridge opening stinks. The Huskers just completed a five game home stand. This bridge would have been very welcomed by Husker fans coming into Lincoln for those home games. Still, the bridge's return to normalcy is very much welcomed. No more annoying pigeon dropppings!!!LJK. "

 Outside the Box wrote on October 7, 2008 1:19 pm:
" Good news for any business owners on West O. "

 Yay wrote on October 7, 2008 1:34 pm:
" Yay! Now us airpark folks don't have to go so far out of the way to get into town! "

 Hmmm wrote on October 7, 2008 1:51 pm:
" Here's a concept...have people work around the clock to finish the bridge and then open it. Frankly, opening the bridge on Friday when the work isn't complete is absurd. Lincoln use some common sense and just get it done! "

 pam wrote on October 7, 2008 2:12 pm:
" 'But still' is so right. What WILL they do when the railroads tracks have to be moved further west for the new arena? Again, poor planning. West Lincoln always seems to get the shaft. They closed West Denton Road between Hwy. 77 and SW 12th, and I don't know when that section will be completed, after the proposed shopping center there fell through. I know there are plans to close West Old Cheney permanently when they re-do the intersection at 14th & Old Cheney. And remember when West Pioneers was closed for what seemed like two years? They don't really care how those of us who live west of town get there. "

 WeeTodd wrote on October 7, 2008 2:33 pm:
" If it's winter time in Nebraska, odds are there is ice on the roads. We don't need to spend thousands of dollars on cameras and electronic signs. A simple "Bridges may be icy" sign would have worked just fine. "

 So so wrote on October 7, 2008 3:14 pm:
" happy not to have all those people who detoured the detour and make Charleston street [residential by the way] as busy, and get rid of most of the speeders. No more semi's, big trucks, oh wait, they weren't suppose to use Charleston in the first place. For those of you who actually used the detour, thank you. Thank you to the city for completing the job early. "

 Billy E wrote on October 7, 2008 4:26 pm:
" NO ONE pays attention to old school "static" warning signs. An occasional automated sign warning of slick surfaces is a pro-active step in the right direction. Kudos to the City! "

 to so so wrote on October 8, 2008 8:03 am:
" I'm sure all of you good people would drive up to cornhusker to take the "real" detour if you wanted to grab a bite at goodcents on west "o". Yeah, right, you would scoot along by the stadium like the rest of us who already were forced to double the communte (and gas!) to get to our work as it is. Be happy for lincoln, not for you selfish people who want control of a city street (I could care less what lines the street, if the city pays for it, I have equal right to use it).

Hooray for the bridge! I can spend my gas savings on X-Mas gifts now! "

 Dan wrote on October 8, 2008 9:22 am:
" I never thought I'd be so excited over a bridge, but after not having it for a year, it's damn exciting! "

 Shelly wrote on October 8, 2008 9:48 am:
" I'm happy that it's open again, but the parking underneath it is worse than it was before they closed it, there's waaaaaaaay less spaces "

 Chris wrote on October 8, 2008 12:04 pm:
" But Still and Pam. The rail lines that will be removed are located right next to the train station. All the lines that remain or will be added will still go under the current overpass. It's a fairly long overpass, not just a few blocks. Perhaps you should check out the plans before you misrepresent them and call them 'poor'. "

 Say Chris.... wrote on October 8, 2008 1:01 pm:
" So...you actually think that people are going to WANT trains running THAT close to a new venue like the one that has been proposed???? Better take another look. There has already been soil sampling along the WEST side for new buildings. The FIRST thing that folks will complain about is that the trains are too loud and come by too often. Only a matter of time before the almighty 2015 group decides that Burlington needs to move....watch and see..... "

 Capital Beach wrote on October 8, 2008 2:08 pm:
" YEAH!!!! Exciting to hear good news once in a while!! Also thanks to the neighborhood by saltdogs stadium for being patient while all of us traveled through during the construction! "

 West A Dad wrote on October 8, 2008 4:37 pm:
" To the person who thinks the "almighty 2015 group" has enough power to sway a global company like BNSF, you're off your rocker. The revenue that BNSF brings to this city and state yearly, is far greater than ANY downtown venue will EVER bring in. "

Ads by Yahoo!