Antelope Valley

The City of Lincoln, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, and the University of Nebraska have joined forces to launch the Antelope Valley Revitalization Project. The $275 million project extends along Antelope Creek from the downtown area north to Salt Creek. The three major elements of the project are community revitalization, flood control, and transportation issues.

Revitalization and Flood Control: Through the Antelope Valley project, this stormwater challenge is being assessed in relation to needed transportation and community revitalization improvements for a 600-square-block area within central Lincoln. Much of this area is located within the floodplain, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has indicated that new development cannot occur until a floodway for large storm events can be determined and constructed. This project is being closely coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The flood control portion of the project has developed into a two-mile open waterway and linear park. The focal point of the linear park is a three-block area within downtown Lincoln referred to as "East Downtown Community Park."

Traffic and Transportation: Traffic engineering and transportation planning were major components of the study. Our efforts, in conjunction with the prime consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff, included assembly and review of existing and projected traffic data; one-on-one meetings with major stakeholders; operational analysis; safety analysis; travel demand forecasting; and identification and evaluation of alternative roadway concepts.

Many complex transportation issues, including discontinuity of existing roadways, pedestrian safety, safety of at-grade rail crossings, and neighborhood concerns have been identified for the project. Other issues presented by the study include a conflict between vehicular traffic and freight rail services provided by the Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, and Omaha, Lincoln, and Beatrice Railroads. There is also the potential for severe flooding along a reduced capacity conduit of Antelope Creek in this location. Through close coordination with the railroads, the study developed alternatives for consolidation of existing railroad operations into a single corridor in order to accommodate the proposed transportation improvements. It also included the construction of several grade separation structures and the elimination of four major at-grade railroad crossings.

Utility Relocation: Each element of the project has required that numerous public and private utilities be relocated to make room for the scheduled improvements. Coordination meetings have been conducted with both private utility companies and public utilities to verify limits of existing service and to determine optimal routings for relocated utilities. Utilities not directly impacted by the work have been evaluated, with respect to current performance, to determine if upgrades should be made while construction crews are in the area.

Public Involvement: Working with the public has been a major component of the initial phases of the Antelope Valley Major Investment Study. Our approach to public involvement has been to extensively involve technical engineering staff in meetings with the public in both one-on-one and group settings. Olsson has coordinated public meetings, the production of several presentations for city council and public meetings, as well as many of the printed materials associated with this project.