Abbott Drive can't seem to get enough of the orange construction cones.
For the second time this year, the Omaha Airport Authority has blocked off the northbound curb lane on Abbott between the north and south entrances to Eppley Airfield, in front of the airport's two parking garages.
Through mid-December, that lane will be reserved for use by commercial and construction vehicles serving the airport.
"It's similar to what we did last winter," said Steve McCoy, the airport authority's chief information and development officer.
In June 2023, the airport launched a $65 million project to widen the terminal drive and install an all-weather canopy over it.
Since October, the three inner lanes of the terminal drive have been closed for the construction. Passenger pickups and drop-offs were moved inside the South Parking Garage. Trucks and shuttle buses continued to use the outside lane of the terminal drive.
But by last winter, use of that single outside lane became dangerous because cranes were installing heavy steel support beams nearby. From January until late spring, the airport used Abbott Drive's northbound curb lane as a drop-off zone for airport shuttles and commercial vehicles instead.
During the summer, though, Omaha's Public Works Department was repairing street panels up and down the 4.7-mile length of Abbott Drive, which links downtown to Eppley airfield before the boulevard splits into the Arthur C. Storz Expressway and John J. Pershing Drive.
That work wrapped up earlier this month, well ahead of schedule. That allowed the airport authority to close down Abbott's curb lane for a second time. McCoy said the terminal drive is once again treacherous because workers have begun installing the overhead panels for an all-weather canopy.
McCoy said the Abbott lane closure shouldn't affect traffic much. Most northbound traffic is headed for the airport, anyway, and uses the south entrance at Pratt Circle. Relatively few vehicles pass the garages heading north.
The Abbott lane will reopen ahead of the holiday travel season, McCoy said.
Heavy construction has been the norm around Eppley for much of the past decade, with the extension of the terminal drive and the 2019 opening of the North Parking Garage.
Earlier this year, work started on a $950 million terminal expansion project that will nearly double the size of the facility. That work will continue until mid-2028, McCoy said.
You'll have plenty of time to get used to the orange.
New road construction
South 72nd Street between Hickory and Pine Streets will have lane restrictions northbound for sidewalk and curb replacement in the outside curb lane until Oct. 2.Lane restrictions are in place eastbound on West Maple Road at 156th Street because of utility work in the outside curb lane until Thursday.Fort Street between North 90th and North 91st Streets is restricted to one lane eastbound because of street repair until Tuesday.Harrison Street between 102nd and 104th Streets is restricted to one lane westbound because of sewer repair until Thursday.South 53rd Street between Farnam and Dodge Streets will be closed for utility work until Thursday.North 132nd Street between West Dodge Road and Blondo Street will have varying lane restrictions for street milling until Tuesday.South 132nd Street between Atwood and Augusta Avenues will be restricted to one lane northbound for sewer repair in the inside lane until Wednesday.South 120th Street between William Street and Poppleton Plaza will be restricted to one lane northbound for utility work until Saturday.Ida Street between 168th and 180th Streets will have varying lane restrictions for panel repair until Oct. 7.North Main Street between Elkhorn Drive and Ohio Street will be closed for utility work until Tuesday.Southbound lanes are shifted to the center lane on South 33rd Street between Dodge and Harney Streets because of fiber-optic installation until Thursday.South 13th Street at Z Street will have lane restrictions southbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Friday. Pine Street between South 52nd and South 54th Streets will be closed to through traffic for utility improvements until Oct. 18.Pratt Street between North 40th Street and North 40th Avenue will be closed for utility work because of a water-main break until Wednesday.South 24th Street between Mason and Pacific Streets will have southbound traffic shifted to the center lane for utility work because of a water-main break until Wednesday.Farnam Street between South 13th and South 11th Streets will have lane restrictions westbound for fiber-optic installation until Wednesday.Farnam Street between South 197th and South 199th Streets will be closed for sewer repair until Oct. 2.North 17th Street between Dodge Street and Capitol Avenue will be restricted to one lane northbound for fiber-optic installation in the outside curb lane until Oct. 1.Northbound lane restrictions are in place on South 10th Street 200 feet north of Harney Street because of fiber-optic installation until Thursday.South 35th Street between 12th and 14th Avenues in Council Bluffs will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for repair work to the Union Pacific railroad bridge until Tuesday.Around Omaha
Northwest (north of West Dodge Road and west of I-680)
Overnight and weekend lane and ramp closures can be expected on the West Dodge Expressway between 168th Street and Skyline Drive for bridge repairs and drainage improvements through spring 2025. is being rebuilt as a "diverging diamond" interchange. Periodic lane closures and some overnight ramp closures can be expected through the end of 2024.Overnight lane closures (7 p.m. to 5 a.m.) can be expected on South 204th Street/U.S. Highway 6/Nebraska Highway 31 from Harrison Street to West Dodge Road for concrete and bridge repair and joint sealing until Oct. 31.F Street between 204th and 207th Streets is closed for road construction until late fall.Mount Michael Road between North 216th Street and Elkhorn Mount Michael High School is closed for road construction until late fall.State Street from Kilpatrick Parkway to HWS Cleveland Boulevard, and 168th Street from Rachel Snowden Parkway to Reynolds Street are closed for grading, paving and reconstruction of the until December 2024.Northeast (north of Dodge Street and east of I-680)
Nighttime lane and ramp closures can be expected on I-80 between South 60th and South 24th Streets because of patching, bridge repairs and road resurfacing until late fall.North 72nd Street between Western Avenue and Maple Street will have varying lane restrictions for ADA curb ramp construction until Oct. 3.North 72nd Street between Bedford Avenue and Wirt Street will be restricted to one lane in each direction because of CSO sanitary sewer separation construction until Tuesday.The eastbound lane of Maple Street between 68th and 70th Streets is closed because of CSO sanitary sewer construction until Oct. 26. The eastbound curb lane is closed on Dodge Street from 46th Street to the Saddle Creek Road exit ramp because of construction on an adjacent property until Dec. 31.North 45th Street between Grant and Erskine Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work until Monday.Young Street between North 38th and North 39th Streetsis closed because of sewer repairs until Monday.Forest Lawn Avenue between North 36th Street and Craig Avenue will be closed for a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Monday.intersection of Forest Lawn Avenue and North Ridge Drive will be closed as part of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Oct. 3.Hamilton Street bridge spanning the North Freeway is closed for bridge repairs until Nov. 30. The southbound exit and entrance ramps also are closed.North 30th Street between Craig and Forest Lawn Avenues will be restricted to one lane southbound because of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Oct. 3. Forest Lawn Avenue between North 30th and North 31st Streets will be closed as part of the same project until Oct. 22.Ames Avenue bridge over the North Freeway between North 25th and North 28th Avenues will have varying lane restrictions because of bridge repairs until Friday.Florence Boulevard between Read Street and Sharon Drive is closed for CSO sanitary sewer separation improvements until Dec. 31.Ohio Street between North 22nd and North 24th Streets will be closed for utility work until Oct. 3.intersection of Florence Boulevard and Lake Street will be closed for construction of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Nov. 12.North 18th Street between Lake Street and Ohio Street will be closed for construction of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Nov. 12.intersection of North 18th and Locust Streets will be closed for CSO sanitary sewer separation improvements until Oct. 11. Corby Street between North 16th and North 18th Streets is also closed until Oct. 11 as part of the same project.Lake Street between North 16th Street and Florence Boulevard will be closed for CSO sanitary sewer separation improvements until Nov. 15.North 16th Street will be closed at various points between Pinkney and Clark Streets for CSO sewer separation improvements through Dec. 15.North 16th Street between Chicago and Nicholas Streets will have various lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Monday.Southwest (south of West Dodge Road and west of I-680/80)
Shoulders are closed, speed limits are reduced and occasional lane closures may occur on Interstate 80 from the Platte River to near the Nebraska Highway 50/South 144th Street exit to allow for construction of a cable median barrier through late fall.South 222nd Street (Skyline Drive) from I Street to south of Q Street is closed for reconstruction of the roadway and construction of a new roundabout at 222nd and Q Streets until November.South 168th Street between Q Street and West Center Road will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024.F Street between South 147th Street and South 150th Plaza will be closed for street improvements until Monday.The intersection of South 145th Street and Industrial Frontage Road will be closed for sewer and street improvements until Oct. 15.Varying lane restrictions can be expected on Nebraska Highway 50/South 144th Street/Millard Avenue from L Street to Nebraska Highway 370 through July 31, 2025. Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction on Highway 50 at the Highway 370 interchange through the summer. Millard Avenue from U Street to South 144th Street is closed for pavement replacement until late September. Traffic will be detoured via South 144th and Q Streets.South 132nd Street between Atwood and Augusta Avenues will be restricted to one lane northbound for sewer repair in the inside lane until Wednesday.Q Street between Magnolia and South 122nd Streets is restricted to one lane eastbound because of wall repair until Tuesday. Southeast (south of West Dodge Road and east of I-680/80)
Nighttime lane and bridge closures are occurring on I-80 between the 60th Street and 24th Street exits to allow for bridge repairs and resurfacing of the roadway until late fall.Nighttime lane and ramp closures will occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Interstate 80 between the 13th and 24th Street exits so workers can seal joints and repaint stripes for the rest of the summer.West Center Road between South 84th and South 108th Streets will have varying lane restrictions for street milling and paving until Saturday.Varying lane restrictions are in place at South 60th and Weir Streets because of utility work until Oct. 16.Leavenworth Street between South 50th Avenue and South 49th Street will be restricted to one lane eastbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Oct. 1. Leavenworth between South 50th and South 48th Streets will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility improvements in the eastbound lanes until Thursday. South 50th Avenue at Leavenworth will be closed, and South 50th Streetbetween Leavenworth and Mayberry Street will be restricted southbound, until Thursday as part of the same project.The eastbound curb lane on Douglas Street will be closed between for construction through May 2025.Varying lane restrictions are in place at the intersection of Saddle Creek Road and Leavenworth Street because of utility work and intersection improvements until Dec. 13.Harney Street between South 39th and South 37th Streets is restricted to one lane eastbound for building construction until Friday. South 37th Street between Farnam and Harney is closed until Sept. 30, and Farnam between South 38th and South 37th Streets is closed until Friday as part of the same project. South 38th between Farnam and Harney also is closed until Friday.Eastbound traffic on Farnam Street between South 37th and South 33rd Streets will be shifted to the center lane for utility work to accommodate the new streetcar line until Oct. 3.South 33rd Street between Dodge and Harney Streets will have southbound traffic shifted to the center lane for fiber-optic installation until Thursday.Leavenworth Street between South 30th and South 31st Streets will have lane restrictions eastbound for utility work until Sept. 30.South 28th Street between W Street and U Plaza will have lane restrictions southbound because of utility work until Wednesday.Vinton Street between South 20th and Elm Streets will be closed eastbound for sewer repair until further notice.Douglas Street at South 19th Street will have lane restrictions eastbound due to utility work related to construction of the new streetcar line until Nov. 1.Farnam Street between South 19th and South 20th Streets will have lane restrictions westbound for utility work until Oct. 16.South 13th Street between Howard and Harney Streets will have lane restrictions northbound for fiber-optic repair in the outside turn lane due to construction of the new streetcar line until Wednesday.Harney Street between South 16th and South 20th Streets will have varying lane restrictions due to utility work related to construction of the new streetcar line until Monday.Harney Street between South 13th and South 14th Streets will have lane restrictions westbound due to utility work related to construction of the new streetcar line until Sept. 30. South 13th between Harney and Howard Streets will have lane restrictions northbound for fiber-optic repair as part of the same project until Wednesday. Harney between South 13th and South 11th Streets will have lane restrictions eastbound until Oct. 1 as part of the same project.Farnam Street between South 15th and South 17th Streets will have lane restrictions westbound for utility work related to the construction of the new streetcar line until Sept. 30.South 18th Street between Howard and Harney Streets will be closed for sewer repair until Wednesday.South 17th Street south of Jackson Street in front of the Douglas County Department of Corrections Facility is closed is due to construction of a building addition until Sept. 3, 2026.South 15th Street between Jones and Jackson Streets will have varying lane restrictions because of water-main repair until Thursday.South 14th Street is closed between Farnam and Douglas Streets, and curbside lanes are closed on Farnam, Douglas and South 15th Street because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower until early 2026.South 13th Street between Missouri Avenue and M Street will be restricted to one lane southbound for utility work in the outside curb lane due to a water-main break until Thursday.The southbound outside lane is restricted on South 13th Street between William and Pine Streets because of road construction until Sept. 30.South 13th Street at Mid City Avenue will be restricted to one lane southbound because of utility work until Monday.Around Sarpy & Cass Counties
Nighttime lane and ramp closures (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.) can be expected on U.S. Highway 75/Kennedy Freeway from the Douglas County line to north of the U.S. Highway 34 interchange for bridge and ramp repairs until spring 2025.The shoulder is closed and speed is reduced to 65 mph on I-80 between the Nebraska Highway 50/144th Street exit and the Platte River because of installation of a cable median barrier until Sept. 30.The right lane is closed eastbound on U.S. Highway 34 between Nebraska Highway 1/Murray Road and Oak Hill Road south of Plattsmouth as part of expansion of the highway into a four-lane expressway until Nov. 1.Around Nebraska
Occasional lane closures will occur and the speed limit has been reduced because of road maintenance work on U.S. Highway 275 from U.S. Highway 77 near Fremont to East Meigs Street in Valley until October.Intermittent lane closures can be expected on Interstate 80 between Exit 388 (Crete) and Exit 395 (Northwest 48th Street) west of Lincoln while the highway is widened to six lanes and the Pleasant Dale interchange is reconstructed through November.Traffic will run head-to-head and width restrictions will be in place on I-80 between mile markers 254 and 263 near Lexington and Kearney until spring 2026 while workers completely reconstruct the roadway, widen and rebuild four bridge decks, and replace ramps at the Elm Creek interchange. Work will take place in the eastbound lanes during 2024 and the westbound lanes during 2025.Traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction and run head-to-head in the westbound lanes of I-80 between Exits 237 (Lexington) and 248 (Overton) while the eastbound lanes are rebuilt through September.Around Council Bluffs & Iowa
The left lane of westbound Interstate 680 between the Interstate 29 interchange and Exit 1 (130th Street) 2-3 miles east of Omaha in Iowa is closed for road construction until Thursday.Occasional nighttime lane and ramp closures may occur on I-80 at the Madison Avenue interchange through June 2026 while the interchange is being rebuilt. Both shoulders are closed through July 1, 2025. Lane restrictions are in place on Madison Avenue between Rue Street and Woodbury Avenue as part of the same project until April 30, 2025.The right shoulder is closed because of construction on I-80 in Iowa between Exit 27 (near Neola) and Exit 97 (Stuart) from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays until Nov. 28.A lane is closed intermittently on I-29 between Exit 15 (near Percival) and Exit 24 (near Bartlett) because of road construction until 2 p.m. Thursday.Head-to-head traffic is in place on I-29 from Exit 1 (Iowa Highway 33 East) and Exit 10 (Iowa Highway 2) north of Hamburg because of road construction until Thursday. Iowa Highway 333 from I-29 to 274th Street near Hamburg also is closed for road construction until Sept. 30.Avenue L between North 27th and North 28th Streets in Council Bluffs will be closed because of a storm sewer rehabilitation project until Nov. 30.North 28th Street between Avenues M and N in Council Bluffs will be closed for water-main repairs until Saturday.Lane restrictions are in place on North 10th Street between Avenues E and F in Council Bluffs because of emergency sewer repairs until Nov. 1.The right shoulder is closed in both directions from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays on U.S. Highway 6 between Council Bluffs and Atlantic because of road construction until Nov. 28.The right shoulder is closed in both directions from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays on Iowa Highway 92 between Treynor and Griswold because of road construction until Nov. 28. ; twitter.com/Steve Liewer
