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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 1996)
Construction blueprints to better highway campus Train delays may be derailed with plans for overpass By Brian Carlson Staff Reporter On a frigid Tuesday morning, Ryan Drapal sat on a shuttle bus waiting to ride to a class on the other side of City Campus. Two coal trains had just come screaming past the parking lot where he waited across from the Bob Devaney Sports Center. For Drapal, a freshman English major, the trains that pass north of the 17th and Holdrege streets intersection often delay his shuttle rides. “Sometimes it makes you late. Sometimes you’re there extra early,” Drapal said. “Ybu can’t time out when you need to be there.” Jim Akin,-shuttle bus driver, agreed. “It’s annoying,” he said. “For a university of this size to be held back by a railroad is kind of hard to explain. But you get used to it.” If motorists and pedestrians wait a few more years, they might not have to wait behind lights and crossbucks any longer. A proposed overpass would run traffic over the tracks and get more students to class on time. In response to concerns for trans portation safety and convenience in a large section of Lincoln surrounding the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Rail road, a group of local organizations plan to improve the area’s infrastruc ture over the next six years. The City of Lincoln, the Univer sity of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District have begun work on a program known as the Antelope Valley Major Investment Study. At the center of the area being stud ied is the intersection at 17th and [■ Aaron Steckelberg/DN Holdrege streets, which borders two City Campus perimeter parking lots and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. One proposal is the construc tion of a vehicle overpass in the area. An average of 50 trains per day use the tracks, resulting in frequent delays for motorists and pedestrians. Study participants say the proposed overpass, which would be between 14th and 17th streets, would even traf fic flow and prevent dangerous behav ior by delayed travelers. In recent years, UNL and Burlington officials have received re ports of students Climbing on or through rail cars while a train was at rest and blocking ttaffic. Kim Todd, campus planner, said, “While the time delays are an incon venience, the real concern is that when people are in a hurry, they do things that are not in their best interests.” Rick Haden, city operations man ager, said if the project succeeds in separating railway and street routes, it would alleviate some transportation andjurfety problems. ^ pedestrian routes on a different level than thb trash tracks. Haden emphasized that the Ante lope study is a long-term program and constructionjhightnot start until 1999. Mike, Martin, a Burlington Rail road spokesman, said the company woukl participate in the study. “We know there are a lot of activi ties going on around the university, and we’re doing everything we can to keep the trains flowing in and out of town,” he said. “So we’re supportive of any efforts to build grade separation.” Plans for construction are still sketchy, and it is unclear what effect the building of an overpass would have on UNL parking lots and buildings. Tad McDowell, parking services manager, said his department is pre paring for construction. When it re cently paved a parking lot near the Devaney Center, only a thin layer of asphalt was used in case construction requires changes. The gravel lot along 17th Street alsoHvas left unpaved. The lots are also along the shuttle bus routes, and the trains can make a 20-minute wait turn into 45 minutes. “It would be nice to have some re lief from die trains,” McDowell said. “It prevents us from developing some kind of regular schedule.” v .. ■ Complete multimedia computer customized for students ■ Campus Z-Station* features: • Powerful Intel* Pentium* processor • Large capacity hard drive • Plenty of memory to run today's hottest applications • Plug a Play into your campus network with a high-speed modem ■ Desktop Systems include Microsoft* Natural* Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse ■ Loaded with Microsoft software for study and fun • Microsoft unite idt winaows 95 wnn wora, Microsoft txcet, PowerPoint. Microsoft Access, Schedule*. 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During the first year, the Phase 1 plan will close southbound Interstate 180 from the Comhusker Highway interchange to O Street. Passenger ve hicle traffic will be rerouted to 11th Street and Comhusker Highway, then south through Sun Valley Boulevard intersection to 10th Street. Phase 2, which runs December 1997 to August 1998, will close the northbound lanes of 1-180. Traffic will be rerouted to 10th Street, then west on Comhusker Highway to 1-180. Officials at the Department of Roads aren’t trying to sugar-coat the difficulties the construction will cause. “I think initially it’s going to be a pretty big deal,” said Allan Abbott, the department’s director/st&^engiheer. Abbott said construction was scheduled to start during die heavy traffic holiday season because Comhusker football garnet cause worse traffic jams in Nebraska than any holiday dinner with the family. Construction was scheduled so it would disrupt as few football games as possible, Jie said. . ' The bridge, built in 1963, has de teriorated to the point where replace ment is crucial, Abbott said, and those wishing the project could be put off just have to accept the inconvenience. “Did we have to do it this year? No, it could have been next year,” Abbott said. “Whenever you start, you’ve got the problem.” Hawkins Construction Co. of Omaha will be working as quickly as it can to get the project done — the workers have incentive. “The contractor gets so much for doing the job, and so much for each they finish before we predicted it could be done,” Abbott said. The Department of Roads has spent the last year working with the City of Lincoln to plot out alternate routes, make signs directing motorists where to go, and planning other construction so it won’t interfere with 1-180 plans. But while the construction may make getting out of Lincoln more dif ficult for holiday travelers, the same department is trying to make travel easier for motorists heading west on Interstate 80 by installing changeable message signs. The department purchased 13 signs, at $26,700 each, to alert drivers of win ter storms, accidents and other problems that would cause road closings. Aabon 9ncnuHKrf)N IpfOl MITCHEUl Freeze 8. Shine ---- Spray with fHff 32°z. refw size. RKIJL 8oz. The Conditioner A$6.SQvaiue |- ■. when you purchase mumJ 1 Liter Awapuhi Shampoo FREE w/ Pump tns 8ot Hair Hold _._ ^ purchase^ NEXXUS REFILL SALE ora iooz. aiiKer |LEco-Smat ReM Sriewithsawir^sof*11 »-*21 ■ Humectress* Moisturizing Conditioner $47.*° Keg. Price 5 -'/4l Bottles • $9.»ea. -26.°° Sale Eco-Smart 1L •/ FREE »/4L Bottle $21.* Savings Enan AekbyingCondManeriboavatMile