Council Bluffs/Omaha Highway Chronology

The history of highways in Council Bluffs is intertwined with the history of highways in downtown Omaha. These maps include highways in Omaha west to about 50th Street. Special thanks to Jesse Whidden and Neil Bratney for their help with early highways on the Omaha side.

NOTE: IA 2 and 7 may have continued along Broadway into Nebraska along with IA 6 End 8 and 104: Main at Broadway November 3, 1924: IA 12 truncated at Missouri Valley; IA 104 truncated to IA 8 April 5, 1926: IA 104 decommissioned October 16, 1926: US 30 replaces IA 6; US 32 replaces IA 2 and part of NE 16; US 75 replaces IA 12 north of Council Bluffs, IA 7 to bridge, and NE 5 south of Douglas St; US 34 replaces IA 8 October 30, 1928: IA 86 decommissioned

NOTE: The above map shows the ends of US 32, US 34, and US 38. May 27, 1931: IA 241 designated along former IA 86 route, then east to US 34 June 24, 1931: One month after 241 is designated, IA 192 replaces it November 1931: US 275 commissioned; overlaps with 34 north of Glenwood December 1931: US 6 replaces US 32 and 38; US 30 becomes US 30S 1932: IA 192 truncated to west of US 34/275; later to Lake Manawa Also in 1932: IA 73 extended northward to South Sioux City

NOTE: Route descriptions in Highway Commission minutes on February 5, 1936, show routes using Pearl instead of Main, half a block west. It is unknown when this began and maps are unclear on how long it lasted. US 6, W-E: Saddle Creek Rd, Dodge St, 30th St, Douglas St, Douglas St bridge, Broadway, Oak St, Pierce St, McPherson Ave US 75, N-S: North Broadway, Broadway, Douglas St bridge, Douglas St, 24th St IA 192, N-S: Main St (from 9th Ave), 16th Ave, 7th St, 25th Ave, unknown road (Main again?) to Lake Manawa End 34 and 275: Main at Broadway End 7: Broadway at Main December 1, 1934: US 30S becomes US 30A Also in 1934: Dodge bridge over Saddle Creek built 1934 or 1935: US 75 moves to 13th St south of Douglas 1935: Discussion about the Iowa-Nebraska border involves potential relinquishment of Carter Lake (which would, inevitably, be annexed by Omaha). Such action never happens. Border is mostly settled along channel of Missouri River as of mid-20th century, except Carter Lake, in Supreme Court case Nebraska v. Iowa, 406 US 117 (1972). (Sources: "Iowans may move over into Omaha without moving," AP article in Waterloo Daily Courier, March 4, 1935; findlaw.com) September 1, 1935: US 34 taken out of Council Bluffs, rerouted to Plattsmouth NE January 18, 1936: South Omaha Bridge opens (toll until September 25, 1947) December 22, 1936: IA 100 extended to US 275 November 9, 1937: IA 347 and 348 commissioned Between 1937 and 1940: NE 8's east end moves east near downtown, or state line 1938: Douglas Street bridge renamed Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge (toll until September 25, 1947) January 18, 1939: IA 367 designated, connecting US 275 to South Omaha Bridge February 1, 1939: IA/NE 92 commissioned (change approved November 22, 1938) July 22, 1939: IA 64 replaces IA 7, ends at US 6 1939: US 275 extended through Omaha to O'Neill, creating wrong-way multiplex with US 75 on Broadway 1939 or 1940: US 6 moved onto Dodge between 204th St (NE 31) and Saddle Creek; NE 38 commissioned along Center St/Rd (probably; it may have replaced part of NE 16 left behind when 92 superseded most of it)

Iowa into Nebraska: Westbound 6, 30A, and 92; southbound 75; northbound 275 US 6, W-E: Dodge St, 30th St, Douglas St, Ak-Sar-Ben bridge, Broadway, Oak St, Pierce St, McPherson Ave US 75, N-S: North Broadway, Broadway, Ak-Sar-Ben bridge, Douglas St, 13th St IA 192, N-S: Main St (from 9th Ave), 16th Ave, 7th St, 25th Ave, unknown road (Main again?) to Lake Manawa 1941: US 275 replaces IA 367, uses South Omaha Bridge/L St; IA 375 on old route Unknown (likely 1950s): Omaha sets up system of one-ways downtown 1954: Northernmost part of IA 375 moves one block east, Main to 4th 1957: IA 165 designated ca. 1957: NE 38 heads northwest from Saddle Creek/Dodge, replacing part of NE 8; NE 64 extended east to Omaha June 23, 1958: IA 92 replaces 100 ("No. 92 Passes Thru Griswold," Griswold American, June 25) November 26, 1958: I-29 opens between US 30 and 16th St; US 75 moved onto it 1959: I-80 built from Lincoln to I-680/80 split in southwest Omaha December 16, 1959: IA 92 moves off 375 and 6 to cross into Omaha with US 275 1960-62: I-80 built between Lincoln and I-480 (ending at 24th St); I-480 built between I-80 and Dodge St; I-680 built between I-80 and US 6 (not shown) NOTE: Some maps indicate a four-lane US 73/75 (13th Street) running south from Omaha to the Platte River was open as early as 1958. This could well be the case, and in fact may extend back to WWII or the late 1940s. (Three words: Strategic Air Command.)

US 6, W-E: Dodge St, Dodge St (WB)/Douglas St (EB), Ak-Sar-Ben bridge, Broadway, Oak St, Pierce St, McPherson Ave US 75, N-S: I-29, 16th St, Broadway, Ak-Sar-Ben bridge, Douglas St (NB)/Dodge St (SB), 13th St (NB)/14th St (SB), 13th St US 73 NB: 13th St, Webster St (or Burt), 15th St, Cuming St, 30th St US 73 SB: 30th St, Burt St, 16th St, Chicago St, 14th St, Leavenworth St, 13th St IA 192, N-S: 4th St (from 9th Ave), 16th Ave, 7th St and later South Expressway to Lake Manawa Ends of 375: Main St at Broadway; South Ave at South Omaha Bridge (Wright) Rd Note: The connection between IA 64 and NE 64 was probably never made. Mid-1960s: One-way alignment of 73 north of Dodge changes slightly; I-680 built between US 6 and NE 133 (not shown) November 21, 1966: I-480 bridge opens; US 6/75 moved onto it 1967: IA 347 decommissioned October 25, 1968: I-29 opens between 16th St and 9th Ave (south of I-480); US 75 moved onto I-29 between 16th St and I-480 December 3, 1968: US 6 realigned east of Broadway for 7.5 miles ("Open New Highway 6 in Bluffs," Council Bluffs Nonpareil, Dec. 3) January 1, 1969: IA 64 becomes part of IA 191; I-80 opens between Madison Ave and US 6 1969: US 30A decommissioned (lasting long enough to get on I-29 and I-480's BGSs); IA 183 takes 30A's route north of US 6 December 22, 1969: I-80 opens between I-680 and IA 192; I-29 opens between IA 192 and IA 370, changing intersection of 92/275 near Iowa School for the Deaf 1969, 1970, or 1971: I-480 completed in Omaha (Dodge to 10th); freeway stub built south from I-80 to vicinity of L St November 1, 1970: I-29/80 duplex opens (west I-29 junction to IA 192) plus I-29 just north of the west junction to 23rd Ave 1971: IA 375 decommissioned; IA 192 extended along part of it to Broadway November 10, 1971: I-29 opens between 9th Ave and 23rd Ave, last segment in area December 15, 1972: I-80 bridge into Nebraska opens, completing I-80 in Iowa 1972 or 1973: I-680 built between NE 133 and Missouri River (not shown)

US 73 NB: 13th St, Capitol Ave, 16th St, Cuming St, 30th St US 73 SB: 30th St, Burt St, 17th St, Capitol Ave, 14th St, Leavenworth St, 13th St 1975: IA 192 truncated to I-80 1976: NE 38 moves off Saddle Creek onto Center St to I-480 1977: I-680 opens between Missouri River and I-29 (not shown) Between 1978 and 1980: New freeway built from I-480 north to Lake St, called I-580; freeway south of I-80 extended south to Q St 1977: IA 192 temporarily decommissioned?? It doesn't appear on the 1978 state map or 1978 Pottawattamie County map April 21, 1979: Last toll taken on eastbound I-680 Mormon Bridge 1980: IA 192 signed between I-29 and I-80 along 16th St, Broadway (US 6), 6th St (NB)/7th St (SB), and South Expressway. 1981: Mile (or so) of IA 183 and IA 191 inside Council Bluffs each turned over to city

Between 1981 and 1986: US 6 realigned between 7th St and North Broadway, slightly north of old road in downtown; south Omaha freeway finished between Q St and Chandler Rd, just south of Douglas/Sarpy county line 1983: I-580 dropped as designation of freeway in Omaha, will later be part of 75 1984: US 75 moves into Nebraska, replacing US 73 north of Omaha 1986: IA 347 decommissioned 1998: US 75 freeway extended north (finally!) from Lake St to new Sorenson Parkway and Storz Expressway; NE 64's end moves slightly east to freeway 2000: US 75 freeway (Kennedy Freeway) opens in Bellevue, paralleling old road (Fort Crook Road) half a mile to the west

Late 2002: Southwest end of IA 165 shifted slightly for Abbott Drive reconstruction project January 1, 2003: NE 38 decommissioned ("End of the historic road as Nebraska Highway 38 goes off the map," Omaha World-Herald, Jan. 10) July 1, 2003: IA 191 and IA 183 are severely truncated, leaving area; US 275 put on I-29 between IA 92 and US 34

Maps on this page © Jeff Morrison 2005-07

Page created 9/23/05; last updated 8/26/07

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