Transportation Project Wins an APWA Nebraska Project of the Year Award

We were recently honored to receive a Project of the Year award from the Nebraska Chapter of the American Public Works Association for our work on I Street between 102nd Street and Interstate 80 (I-80) in Omaha, Nebraska. Presented in the transportation category for projects between $5 and $25 million, this award highlights excellence in managing, administering, and implementing public works projects. It also celebrates the strong collaboration among the client, consultant, and contractor.

As part of the City of Omaha’s Maintenance Bond program, we were tasked with performing a traffic study along the nearly mile-long corridor to assess the existing traffic conditions. With that data in hand, the City asked us to design the reconstruction, manage public engagement activities, and oversee construction management.

We recommended widening the busiest section of the corridor, which sees the heaviest truck traffic, to three lanes by adding a center turn lane. This turn lane would enable trucks to make left turns from either direction without disrupting through traffic. The lesser traveled section would remain two lanes.

This project was highly complex, requiring extensive coordination and communication to succeed. Three main phases and 13 sub-phases ensured that continuous access was provided to the corridor’s commercial properties, fire station, multiple streets, and the I-80 ramp. 

Extensive safety measures were essential as trucks navigated the active construction zone, and the team had to collaborate and coordinate with 26 impacted utilities for rerouting. Additionally, a storm sewer was installed beneath an at-grade Union Pacific railroad crossing.  Ground- and track-monitoring survey points were set up to ensure that settling didn’t occur in the tracks or the supporting ground during the process.

Ultimately, the project corridor fully reopened to traffic two months ahead of schedule and was completed under budget. 

We’re proud to have been part of such a great team, including the City of Omaha, the City of Omaha Public Works Department, and Charles Vrana & Son Construction Co.