Dodge Street

Dodge Street is the main east–west street in Omaha, Nebraska. Numbered as U.S. Route 6 (US 6), the street starts in Downtown Omaha and connects to West Dodge Road just west of 78th Street. From there, it continues westward through the remainder of Douglas County.

Dodge Street
LocationOmaha
East end I-480 (41°15′34.8″N 95°55′37.8″W)
West end84th Street (41°15′34.8″N 96°02′34.6″W)

About
Dodge Street is the major street diverging from I-480 in Downtown Omaha.

Dodge Street was named for influential Iowa Senator Augustus C. Dodge. Dodge was a strong supporter of westward expansion beyond the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean who originally introduced the bill which led to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Sources frequently erroneously list the street's namesake as Grenville Dodge, the chief engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad.[1] Six miles of Dodge were paved with macadam in June 1894;[2] however, by 1917 citizens were circulating a petition for the road to be graded.[3]

Dodge Street serves as the dividing point between North and South street addresses in Omaha. The street features reversible lanes from 30th Street to 69th Street to accommodate commuter traffic in and out of downtown. From the late 1950s through the late 1980s Dodge Street from 60th through 80th Streets was the main strip for cruising in Omaha. The City of Omaha ended this practice in the early 1990s, when it enacted a law prohibiting U-turns from 8pm to midnight.

Route
Dodge Street near 76th Street in Omaha

Dodge Street begins as a westbound one-way offramp from I-480 right after it crosses the Missouri River from Iowa. Traveling through Downtown Omaha, this stretch begins the route of the former Lincoln Highway in Omaha. Along it are several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Kirschbraun and Sons Creamery, Inc. at 901 Dodge Street, The Logan at 1804 Dodge Street, and the Simon Brothers Company at 1024 Dodge Street. The street was once lined by the Old Post Office. Accommodating U.S. 6 it conjoins with Douglas Street at 30th Street to hold five lanes of two-way traffic.

At approximately 45th Street the 1934 Saddle Creek Underpass takes Saddle Creek Road under Dodge Street. It is included on the Bridges in Nebraska Multiple Property Submission. Dundee is a historic neighborhood in Midtown Omaha centered near 50th and Dodge Streets. Originally a separate city, Dundee was annexed by Omaha in 1915. The University of Nebraska Omaha and Crossroads Mall are located at 72nd and Dodge Streets.

West Dodge Road

West Dodge Road is one of the main east–west streets in West Omaha. Beginning immediately west of 78th Street, the main six-lane road curves northwest, aligning itself with Cass Street. At this point Dodge Street itself continues up the hill (between Methodist Hospital and Children's Hospital) and terminates at 84th Street.

West Dodge Expressway

Before Westroads Mall and the Regency community, West Dodge Road becomes a controlled-access freeway at 96th Street (eastbound, stop lights do not begin until 90th), with an elevated local-express lane segment from I-680 through 132nd Street. The West Dodge freeway travels west by Boys Town and Elkhorn.

At 204th Street (Nebraska Highway 31), U.S. 6 exits to turn south towards Gretna and the freeway becomes Nebraska Link 28B. At 240th Street, the freeway turns north towards Fremont as part of U.S. Route 275.

Exit List

All exits are unnumbered.

CountyLocationmi[4]kmDestinationsNotes
DodgeFremont0.00.0Luther RoadAt-grade intersection; west end of freeway; highway continues as US 275 / US 30 (Lincoln Highway)
2.33.7 US 30 – Fremont, BlairEast end of US 30 overlap
3.96.3Military Avenue
4.97.9Morningside Road
DouglasMercer8.613.8 N-36 – Bennington, Fremont, North Omaha
Valley13.221.2 N-64 west – ValleyWest end of N-64 overlap
15.224.5Meigs Street / 252nd Street
Waterloo16.726.9 N-64 east (West Maple Road) – WaterlooEastbound exit and westbound entrance; east end of N-64 overlap
18.229.3Blondo Street
​18.730.1 L-28B begins / US 275 east (240th Street) to N-92 (West Center Road) / West Dodge Road – Omaha, WahooUS 275 (east) splits from freeway; western terminus of L-28B
​20.132.3228th Street – Waterloo
Omaha21.033.8Skyline Drive
22.135.6 US 6 west / N-31 (204th Street) / L-28B ends – Elkhorn, LincolnEastern terminus of L-28B; US 6 (west) splits from freeway
23.137.2192nd Street
24.138.8180th Street
25.040.2168th Street
26.142.0156th Street
26.642.8150th Street
27.143.6144th Street
27.644.4137th Street – Boys Town
28.145.2132nd Street
28.846.3120th Street / 114th Street – Old Mill
30.448.9 I-680 to I-80Exit 3 along I-680
30.849.6102nd Street / 98th Street / Regency Parkway – Westroads Mall98th St. not signed eastbound
31.150.196th StreetAt-grade intersection; east end of freeway; highway continues as US 6 (West Dodge Road)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

History

Omaha's Capitol Hill was originally located at the intersection of 20th and Dodge, at the building where the Nebraska Territory legislature convened. The steep grade of Dodge Street was reduced from 12% to 7% in the 1920s, dramatically altering the face of the grounds surrounding Omaha Central High School.[5] The original Boys Town was opened on West Dodge Road in 1921, and the Joslyn Art Museum opened at 26th and Dodge in 1931. Omaha's notable Saddle Creek Underpass was built to facilitate traffic along Dodge Street by the Works Progress Administration in 1934. The Memorial Park Pedestrian Bridge was completed in 1968.[6]

The expressway was opened in 2006.[7]

gollark: ++list_deleted
gollark: No.
gollark: No results
gollark: ++supported_langs dogescript
gollark: ++supported_langs py

See also

References
  1. In 2016, in reaction to Augustus C. Dodge’s pro-slavery views, Dodge Street was renamed for Grenville Dodge and his brother N. P. Dodge, by the City of Omaha, Douglas County, and the State of Nebraska. [source Omaha World Herald, April 2016.] "Street Names 4" Archived October 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Douglas County Historical Society. Retrieved 3/29/08.
  2. (1894) Paving and Municipal Engineering. Version 7. Municipal Engineering Company. p. 292.
  3. League of American Wheelmen. (1917) Good Roads. 4(52). S. Elliott Publishers. p. 22.
  4. Nebraska Department of Roads (2013). "Nebraska Highway Reference Log Book" (PDF). pp. 25–26, 267–269, 295. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  5. "Walking tour of downtown Omaha", HistoricOmaha.com. Retrieved 3/26/08.
  6. "Memorial Park Pedestrian Bridge" Archived 2009-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, Omaha Midcentury Modern. Retrieved 3/28/08.
  7. West Dodge Road info. Nebraska State Department of Roads. Retrieved 3/27/08.
  • Dodge Street - Looking west on Dodge Street from 30th Street in 1889
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.