The Dodge Street Overpass

The Dodge Street Overpass. Combining Form and Function in a "Structure of Beauty". The story of the Dodge Street Pedestrian Overpass began with parents' concern about the safety of their children walking to school. Responding to post-World War II growth in student population and requests from parents, the City of Omaha began building pedestrian bridges over major streets on school routes in 1962. It completed the first of these, a prefabricated structure, at 42nd and Grover. St. Margaret Mary's parents, concerned about their children crossing Omaha's busiest trafficway, promoted the idea of a similar bridge over Dodge Street. The City responded by commissioning the firm of Durand, Jackson and Associates, Inc. to design the overpass and, recognizing the importance and visibility of its setting, charged the designers to create a "structure of beauty." The design by William H. Durand, submitted in March, 1965, was unlike anything the City had seen. Instead of utilitarian straight ramps leading to a span over the street, Durand presented a flowing, S-curved steel structure, elegant in its beauty and simplicity. The original design concept included an electric heating grid embedded in the concrete deck to melt winter snow. The City planned to coordinate construction with the widening of Dodge to five lanes from 52nd to 72nd, extending the unusual reversible center-lane arrangement in place east of 52nd., Unfortunately, the project ran into problems. The budget for the project was set at $50,000, but the low bid came in at $62,500, and misprints in bid notices further complicated matters. The city considered changing the design and seeking new bids, but ultimately decided to cancel the project. However, traffic on Dodge kept increasing and parents kept up the pressure to build the overpass. In 1967, Mayor A.V. Sorensen requested funding to revive the project and the overpass was rebid. The low bid of $66,085 submitted by Foster-Smetana Co. was within the estimated cost range, but controversy continued to follow the project. The Parks Advisory Board objected to building the bridge in Memorial Park, and the Parks Director proposed another location out of his concern that the structure might obstruct views of the War Memorial. This caused the Mayor to write a letter to the City Council, stating that although he had been "opposed to this overpass from the beginning," he believed that the safety of students was paramount. At the City Council meeting approving the bid award, an attempt was made to delay the project in favor of a citywide study of the needs and priorities for pedestrian overpasses. Nevertheless, the City Council approved the project, construction began, and, despite delays caused by bad weather and delays in delivery of steel, the project was completed and opened to the public in April, 1968., Far from detracting from the beauty of Memorial Park, the design quality of the bridge in its setting was stunning. The innovative 380-foot long structure incorporated a sweeping box girder span, supporting a precast concrete deck and in turn supported by four steel piers. In 1969, the bridge received the top prize in its category from the American Institute of Steel Construction. In its award statement, the competition jury eloquently described the design quality of the overpass: ,

This 'people' bridge is a beautiful and logical solution for a pedestrian crossing of a highway. It is handsome from many viewpoints: for the motorist who goes beneath it and for the pedestrian who passes over it. It adds a note of interest and gaiety to the crossing of a busy highway. The designer should be complimented for his attractive treatment of the slender piers and his careful attention to the geometry which resulted in smooth uninterrupted curves.

, The overpass has been recognized as a beloved and indispensable part of Omaha's cityscape. A 1990s proposal to widen Dodge Street and modify the Happy Hollow Boulevard intersection that would have resulted in demolition of the bridge was withdrawn because of popular opposition. In 2004, Omaha's Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission designated the bridge as a Landmark of the City of Omaha., The ribbon-cutting. At right in the overcoat is Robert Cunningham, former President of the City Council, Mayor, and visionary civic leader. William H. Durand, the designer of the bridge, is in the back row. , Letter from Mayor A.V. Sorenson to the Omaha City Council, recommending approval of the construction bid in 1967. , Cover sheet from original design plans by Durand, Jackson and Associates in 1965. , Kids exploring the Overpass before opening, 1968 , The Overpass under construction, 1967-68, Questions to Think About as You Cross the Bridge. . . , Between 1962 and 1980, Omaha built or planned to build 19 pedestrian overpasses. Of them, the Dodge Street Overpass is by far the most heavily used, and some overpasses have actually been removed. We have some questions for you to consider as you cross this unique bridge: , 1. What makes this bridge special, something that so many people enjoy using? , 2. Why do you think some other overpasses that you have seen in the city receive relatively little use? , 3. What lessons can we learn from overpasses about design quality in the city?, William H. Durand: The Man Behind the Bridge , William H. Durand, designer of the Dodge Street Pedestrian Overpass, was an exceptionally talented individual – an engineer, pilot, designer of airplanes and buildings, and educator. Born in 1914, he was educated at Omaha University (now the University of Nebraska at Omaha) and the University of Colorado, serving as a professor of engineering and establishing the Aeronautics Unit at OU. He began service during World War II instructing cadets in meteorology and aeronautics at the University of Colorado. He later was reassigned to the Martin Bomber Plant at Fort Crook in Bellevue where he reconfigured the assembly line to produce the B-29 bomber. While in Bellevue, he was given a top-secret project to design and modify one B-29 for a unique assignment. While he did not know it, the B-29 was the Enola Gay and the assignment was the mission to Hiroshima that helped end World War II. After the war, Durand returned to OU, where he taught until forming his own engineering firm in 1958. In addition to designing the Dodge Street Overpass, he executed hundreds of engineering projects, designed a neighborhood of homes in Bellevue and five planes, including the well-known Durand Mar V airplane. This accomplished Omahan died in 2010 at age 95., The 50-year old Overpass under restoration, 2017 , Top prize winner from the American Institute of Steel Construction, 1969, Dodge Street Overpass 2018 Restoration , City of Omaha · Dundee Memorial Park Neighborhood Association · The Sherwood Foundation · Gerry and Bruce Lauritzen · Eastern Nebraska Trails Network – Corporate Cycling Challenge · Joan Gibson and Donald Wurster · Mammel Foundation · Tom and Kim Egan Family · Bank of the West · Matt and Jenny Dwyer · Dundee Bank · Dundee Digital · Martin and Aveva Shukert · Robert and Judith Welk · Dan McCarthy · Alana Hallaert · Joe Ricketts · Douglas County · Jennifer and Peter Manhart · Pete and Paige Festersen · Councilman Chris and Jennifer Jerram · Franklin and Beverly Thompson · Susan and Dan Rock · Don and Connie Osborne · Carolyn and Nick Manhart, Friends of the Bridge, created to assemble private funding to supplement City of Omaha bridge maintenance funds, thanks more than 125 donors from around the country for their contributions toward the restoration of the Dodge Street Overpass in time for its 50th anniversary., Credits: , Panel design contributed by RDG Planning and Design , Historic photographs from the Robert Haskach Collection and the Durham Museum