The Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) conducted a study of an outer loop roadway (also known as a beltway) for the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area. The concept of an outer loop roadway, or beltway, has been included in the MAPA long range transportation plan for over 10 years. A beltway is a major, usually limited access, road that follows a circular route around a city. The purpose of a beltway is to provide an alternate route for traffic traveling around or through a city and to relieve congestion on streets and highways inside of the beltway. Examples of cities that have beltways are: Denver (Hwy 470), Kansas City (I-435), Minneapolis (I-494/I-694), St. Louis (I-270/I-255), Oklahoma City (John Kilpatrick Turnpike), and Phoenix (Hwy 101).

2035 Metropolitan Traffic Projections

As part of the beltway feasibility study an initial evaluation was conducted on how the metropolitan (metro) transportation system will operate in the future (year 2035). It was determined that if only the projects listed in the current transportation plan from MAPA are completed by 2035, the future metro transportation system will see a significant decrease in overall system performance compared to current conditions. Transportation model findings show:
  • On average, travel speeds on highways and freeways will drop 20%. In other words an average 20 minute trip will take approximately 25 minutes.

  • Households in the metro area will incur $727 of direct costs annually (2008 dollars) from the increase in travel time equating to $296 million in direct user costs for metro area residents.
Based on these evaluations it is clear the planned transportation improvements for 2035 will not adequately address the metro area’s future transportation needs. These sample findings are part of the foundation for the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro Beltway Feasibility Study.


Study Goals and Objectives

The MAPA Beltway Feasibility Study assessed the need for and feasibility of a beltway to serve the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. A beltway would be expected to serve the metro area through year 2035. Because a beltway is intended to encircle the metro area, the study area for possible beltway improvements was limited to the area that is reasonably expected to be on the edge of the metro area by year 2035. The areas where a potential beltway alignment was studied are shown below. Both an inner and outer beltway was evaluated to compare each beltway corridor. The inner and outer beltways were designed on or along existing roadways wherever possible to take advantage of existing roadway right-of-way. The corridor width for either beltway would allow for flexibility of potential roadway alignments in an effort to minimize property impacts, environmental impacts, and compliment the surrounding roadway network. Along with studying the feasibility of a beltway, the study also explored the benefits of addressing congestion through alternative means such as transit, land use changes and other roadway improvements within the metro area.

Study Findings

The study showed that the transportation system will degrade substantially with a continuation of current development policies and transportation improvement approach. This study concludes that altering land use practices to increase densities in new development and promoting infill will have a positive impact on the transportation system. Additionally, it was shown that substantial benefits can be derived by significantly enhancing transit ridership. Note however, land use changes and transit investment cannot replace investment in the roadway system. The full solution includes a combination of additional roadway capacity, refined land use policies and transit investment. To read more about the different alternatives considered and the feasibility of a metro area beltway, review the full report or executive summary.

Public Input Opportunities

A key component of the beltway study was to determine if there is public or political support for a beltway or other major transportation improvements. Two public surveys were conducted during the study to help gauge local interest. The survey documentation and results are available for review (Public Survey #1, Public Survey #2). Throughout the course of the study, the public was given the opportunity to contact the study team to offer their opinions and thoughts on the study (see contact information below). Additionally, the study team has made informational presentations to a variety of groups during the study.

Matt Tondl
HDR Engineering
8404 Indian Hills Drive
Omaha, NE 68114
(402) 399-1070
beltwaystudy@hdrinc.com
 		Paul Mullen
Metropolitan Area Planning Agency
2222 Cuming Street
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 444-6866
Paul_mullen@mapacog.org