I-680 is a Big Mess

[brad2971]

Yikes, this could take a while:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110831/NEWS01/708319910/0

That's what almost 3 months of flowing water will do to concrete. And I-29 only looks marginally driveable.

[rarnold]

Federal money may only pay for 'replacement cost,' but maybe IADOT should think about raising the roadbed, to avoid these issues in the future. The lost revenue, both at the state and private sector levels, could justify such an investment.

[brad2971]

Federal money may only pay for 'replacement cost,' but maybe IADOT should think about raising the roadbed, to avoid these issues in the future. The lost revenue, both at the state and private sector levels, could justify such an investment.

Why, when it was arguably a federal (in)action by the Army Corps of Engineers that helped cause this flooding? If IADOT and the ACE think it's feasible to raise the roadbed 6-10 FEET, let the ACE pay for it. It's not Iowa's or Nebraska's fault that the ACE had engaged in some slipshod dam management this past June.

Luckily, all IADOT has to do in the next couple months is to get I-29 in driveable condition. I-680 can, arguably, wait until spring to start rebuilding, since there are more than adequate crossings in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.

[rarnold]

I was not saying that IADOT should pay for it, but the US Army Corps of Engineers probably won't either.

If the section of I-29 between Crescent and Loveland does not re-open until spring, fixing I-680 is a non-starter.

[Alps]

Looks like I can cross this off my clinch plans next spring. Wonder how many other Interstates are in similar condition?

[AZDude]

Man that is rough.  I was planning on going through that route next summer.  Guess I won't be doing that.  Although, I've been through there before.

[ShawnP]

Hey looks like a MODOT project...........

[M86]

Federal money may only pay for 'replacement cost,' but maybe IADOT should think about raising the roadbed, to avoid these issues in the future. The lost revenue, both at the state and private sector levels, could justify such an investment.

Why, when it was arguably a federal (in)action by the Army Corps of Engineers that helped cause this flooding? If IADOT and the ACE think it's feasible to raise the roadbed 6-10 FEET, let the ACE pay for it. It's not Iowa's or Nebraska's fault that the ACE had engaged in some slipshod dam management this past June.

Luckily, all IADOT has to do in the next couple months is to get I-29 in driveable condition. I-680 can, arguably, wait until spring to start rebuilding, since there are more than adequate crossings in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.

While going back north, I had to take the local detours.  Which I loved, but added a bit to the trip.  I'm wondering in what condition I-29 was left after the flooding.

[kharvey10]

Federal money may only pay for 'replacement cost,' but maybe IADOT should think about raising the roadbed, to avoid these issues in the future. The lost revenue, both at the state and private sector levels, could justify such an investment.

Why, when it was arguably a federal (in)action by the Army Corps of Engineers that helped cause this flooding? If IADOT and the ACE think it's feasible to raise the roadbed 6-10 FEET, let the ACE pay for it. It's not Iowa's or Nebraska's fault that the ACE had engaged in some slipshod dam management this past June.

Luckily, all IADOT has to do in the next couple months is to get I-29 in driveable condition. I-680 can, arguably, wait until spring to start rebuilding, since there are more than adequate crossings in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.

While going back north, I had to take the local detours.  Which I loved, but added a bit to the trip.  I'm wondering in what condition I-29 was left after the flooding.

I want to know cause my folks will be going down I-29 from Omaha to KC in less than 2 weeks from today.

[Alps]

I haven't even heard of I-29 being unflooded yet.

[huskeroadgeek]

Federal money may only pay for 'replacement cost,' but maybe IADOT should think about raising the roadbed, to avoid these issues in the future. The lost revenue, both at the state and private sector levels, could justify such an investment.

Why, when it was arguably a federal (in)action by the Army Corps of Engineers that helped cause this flooding? If IADOT and the ACE think it's feasible to raise the roadbed 6-10 FEET, let the ACE pay for it. It's not Iowa's or Nebraska's fault that the ACE had engaged in some slipshod dam management this past June.

Luckily, all IADOT has to do in the next couple months is to get I-29 in driveable condition. I-680 can, arguably, wait until spring to start rebuilding, since there are more than adequate crossings in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.

While going back north, I had to take the local detours.  Which I loved, but added a bit to the trip.  I'm wondering in what condition I-29 was left after the flooding.

I want to know cause my folks will be going down I-29 from Omaha to KC in less than 2 weeks from today.

From what I have heard, I-29 won't be open for awhile in the area just north of the MO border where the flooding is/was at. The preferred detour for Omaha to KC traffic is to take I-29 as far south as US 34, take US 34 east to US 59, and then take US 59 south to where it meets up with I-29 at Exit 92.

[corco]

From what I have heard, I-29 won't be open for awhile in the area just north of the MO border where the flooding is/was at. The preferred detour for Omaha to KC traffic is to take I-29 as far south as US 34, take US 34 east to US 59, and then take US 59 south to where it meets up with I-29 at Exit 92.

Whoa- is that better than 75 to 73 to either 36 or K-7? I guess it depends on where you're going in KC/Omaha, but I wouldn't want to be stuck with many cars on 59 south of US-34- that's a narrow road without many passing opportunities and a lot of jogging. Fun drive when you're the only car on the road, but if a good chunk of I-29 is there that sounds awful. Maybe I'm overestimating US-75, or maybe KDOT doesn't want that to be mentioned as an official detour since it's not their problem.

Assuming those roads are all open I think I'd take 75 down to 73 to 36 to 229 to 29 to KC. I've driven all but 75 between Omaha and 73, and 73's at least got wide shoulders and not so many trees so better sightlines, plus the 65 MPH speed limit, and then 36 is just like that but 4-laned in a lot of spots. I assume 75 between 73 and Omaha is a good road.

[huskeroadgeek]

From what I have heard, I-29 won't be open for awhile in the area just north of the MO border where the flooding is/was at. The preferred detour for Omaha to KC traffic is to take I-29 as far south as US 34, take US 34 east to US 59, and then take US 59 south to where it meets up with I-29 at Exit 92.

Whoa- is that better than 75 to 73 to either 36 or K-7? I guess it depends on where you're going in KC/Omaha, but I wouldn't want to be stuck with many cars on 59 south of US-34- that's a narrow road without many passing opportunities and a lot of jogging. Fun drive when you're the only car on the road, but if a good chunk of I-29 is there that sounds awful. Maybe I'm overestimating US-75, or maybe KDOT doesn't want that to be mentioned as an official detour since it's not their problem.

Assuming those roads are all open I think I'd take 75 down to 73 to 36 to 229 to 29 to KC. I've driven all but 75 between Omaha and 73, and 73's at least got wide shoulders and not so many trees so better sightlines, plus the 65 MPH speed limit, and then 36 is just like that but 4-laned in a lot of spots. I assume 75 between 73 and Omaha is a good road.

Add in NE 2, and you have the preferred route from Lincoln to KC. I've tried 3 different routes, and I think it's the best and most people I have heard from agree. I thought Omaha traffic would end up using US 75 too, but I've been told by people from Omaha that US 59 is the route most people are taking. It actually might be better that way because it splits the Lincoln and Omaha traffic between 2 different routes.

[J N Winkler]

I assume 75 between 73 and Omaha is a good road.

Not in my experience, no.  It is freeway between Omaha and Bellevue (Offutt AFB exit), and expressway from there to Plattsmouth, but further south it is essentially a two-lane state highway built to not particularly demanding geometric design standards--few (if any) lengths have shoulders or marginal hard strips, and there is a S-curve (with 50 MPH advisory speed signing) where US 75 switches alignment between two north-south section lines.

It is mainly in Kansas that US 75 is a good-quality road--it is freeway north of Topeka and expressway all the way to Holton (K-16 intersection).

[M86]

Here's my routes that I took to get through the mess:
My route on the way north was I-29 north in MO to Exit 107 (MO 111).  I took that north to Rock Port, and went east on US 136 to Tarkio.  From there, I went north on US 59, into Iowa, to IA 2.  I went west on IA 2 to US 275, and went north on 275 to US 34, and went west back to I-29.  Once in the Omaha metro, i exited at Exit 3 (IA 192) and went north.  I had it all planned out, but there was a local detour in Council Bluffs that really threw me off.  Eventually I got to North Broadway (Old Lincoln Highway).  I went north (through absolute pouring rain... Everyone was going about 30-40 mph) for a while to the first left after the I-680 bridges near Crescent and went left to I-29.

On the way back, I went west at Modale, IA (Exit 82... Also former Iowa 300, I believe).  Went west into town, and turned south on County Road K45.  Drove south to US 30, and went west to Blair, NE.  Drove through Blair, and went south on NE 133 to I-680.  Took I-680 south to I-80 west to the hotel I stayed at.  From there, I went east on I-80 through Omaha to US 75, went south to US 73.  East to US 36 near Hiawatha, and east to I-29.

I have no huge complaints, except for the county road in Pottawattamie County in Iowa, north of Council Bluffs.  There was a huge thunderstorm, with pouring rain.  It was clogged with I-29 traffic, and it was moving about 30-40 mph at best.  That, and the road is curvy with no shoulders.  I had white knuckles the whole time!

US 75 south out of Omaha isn't bad (Although I've heard that the Kennedy Expressway (US 75) gets really congested during peak times)... It looks like they were putting in a 4 lane south of the current end on US 75 in southeastern NE.  Sorry that I can't provide the exacts, but they are definitely expanding the expressway to the south.

[Jardine]

Here is an update as to how it all turned out:

I-29 reopened fairly quickly, damage was very light except for a few instances of sloughed away shoulders.  The biggest headache was getting the slime off pavement.  Anderson Excavating was involved and it took several passes of the big powered brushes to scour it off.  It was noted if even a little was left, as soon as the pavement was moistened by rain it became VERY slick.

In the 2 years since some of the guardrails have been replaced, some blacktopping, and the decrepit fencing (from before the flood!) was replaced.  The new fencing is now being smashed in places by falling tree limbs from the trees killed by the flood.

I-680 as noted above was TOTALLY destroyed.  There are 2000 year old Roman ruins in better shape than the flood left I-680.  During the flooding folks near Crescent heard noises that were later determined to be the pavement breaking up.  PCI (Petersen Contractors) and several subcontractors were able to rebuild in 33 days what the Army Corp of Engineers destroyed in 100.  New pavement is nice.

Highway 30 east of Blair was protected by gravel filled 'bags' and an extensive pumping system for about 3 miles. Unappreciated at the time was the wind driven waves from the south were eroding the south shoulder of the highway.  Fortunately flood abated when it did.  Since then the road berm has been beefed up with a very thick layer of rip-rap in case the flood happens again.

Council Bluffs Iowa deserves some special recognition for keeping their city unflooded.  The protective levee was patrolled around the clock.  Also, city employees drove the city watching the sump pump discharges form homes and businesses into the gutters.  Any home discharging sand with the seepage was flagged and if the residents did not turn off their sump pumps, their electricity would have been shut off.  The concern was buried sand formations beneath the city connecting to flooded areas outside the levee.  Sump pumps can create voids under the houses, streets, Interstate, and the levee and destroy the city with a sudden ingress of water.

PCI, locally famous for the I-680 rebuild, is now rebuilding the major interchanges on Interstates 29, 80 and 480 in Council Bluffs.  If any one likes watching big ramps forming, and huge I-beams being lofted into the sky, it's a good time to drive thru the west I-29/80 interchange just east of the I-80 Missouri River Bridge (Spring Street bridge for all of us around when it was built), PCI is rapidly rebuilding all the pavement, ramps and overpasses.

[Jardine]

And another followup:

The expected crest of the current Missouri River flooding threat is projected to be close to the elevation of the new I-680 pavement.

While the road won't be destroyed like in 2011, the possibility of closure can't be ruled out, and it the water deposits 'slime' or floating debris on the road, the closure might be annoying for longer than the the projected flooding threat, which is believed to be till Tuesday, barring further rains upstream.

[J N Winkler]

Since this thread has received a huge bump, I'm going to take the opportunity to correct out-of-date information:

I assume 75 between 73 and Omaha is a good road.

Not in my experience, no.  It is freeway between Omaha and Bellevue (Offutt AFB exit), and expressway from there to Plattsmouth, but further south it is essentially a two-lane state highway built to not particularly demanding geometric design standards--few (if any) lengths have shoulders or marginal hard strips, and there is a S-curve (with 50 MPH advisory speed signing) where US 75 switches alignment between two north-south section lines.

I drove US 75 (after a nine-year hiatus) in November 2012 and discovered it has been quite extensively upgraded on the Nebraska side.  The two-lane sections now all have shoulders and good sight distances.  The S-curve mentioned above, where the road used to jump from one north-south county section line road to another immediately adjacent, has been straightened out.  Owing to congestion on the length between K-16 at Holton (north end of the expressway) and Fairview, it is now more hairy on the Kansas side, though KDOT has built a short length of two-lane freeway between Sabetha and Fairview that includes grade separation of the US 36 intersection.