 U.S. Highway 75 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 75 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byNDOT | ||||
| Length | 187.54 mi[1] (301.82 km) | |||
| Existed | 1926–present | |||
| Tourist routes |  Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  US-75 atKansas state line | |||
| Major intersections | ||||
| North end |   I-129 /US 20 /US 75 at theIowa state line | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Nebraska | |||
| Counties | Richardson,Nemaha,Otoe,Cass,Sarpy,Douglas,Washington,Burt,Thurston,Dakota | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
U.S. Route 75 (US 75) was a part of theUnited States Numbered Highway System that runs for 1,239 miles (1,994 km) fromDallas, Texas toKittson County, Minnesota where it ends just short of theCanada–United States border. Within the State ofNebraska it is a state highway that enters Nebraska on theKansas state line about 9 miles (14 km) south ofDawson and travels north across the extreme eastern portion of the state, to the Nebraska–Iowa border inSouth Sioux City where it crosses the Missouri River along a concurrency withInterstate 129. The northern 210 miles (340 km) of the route generally travels parallel to the Missouri River. The 87.32-mile (140.53 km) section between theI-680 interchange inOmaha and the Interstate 129 interchange is designated the Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway, one of nine scenic byways in the state.[1][2]
The travel corridor along the Missouri River in Nebraska has always been an important thoroughfare. It was the primary exploration route taken by theLewis and Clark Expedition as they traveled up the Missouri River in 1804. There are several locations along the US 75 corridor that feature former campsite locations of the expedition. Other cities and towns along the corridor were starting points for travelers and freight headed west on the Oregon Trail. US 75 was one of the original U.S. highways from the initial 1926 plan, however its route has gone through dramatic changes throughout its lifetime. Prior to 1984, the highway left the state in Omaha as it traveled east through the city along the present-dayI-480/US 6 corridor across theMissouri River intoIowa. In 1984, with the completion ofInterstate 29 in Iowa, a series of transfers between Iowa and Nebraska brought the US 75 designation from the I-29 corridor into Nebraska from Omaha north to replace the routing of US 73 which was truncated back toDawson at the same time.[3]
US 75 enters Nebraska along the Kansas state line south ofDawson inRichardson County. The highway travels north through agricultural fields the comes to an intersection withN-8. After crossing the south and north forks of the Big Nemaha River the highway entersDawson a small village founded as Noraville in 1872 along theAtchison and Nebraska Railroad. The highway continues north out of Dawson and less than one mile (1.6 km) later has a junction with the northern terminus ofU.S. Route 73. The highway then makes a sweeping turn to jog one mile (1.6 km) west before resuming a northerly course as it approaches an intersection withN-4. About four miles (6.4 km) later, the highway comes to a junction withN-62. Continuing due north, US 75 travels 10 miles (16 km) through the rolling hills of eastern Nebraska before entering the city ofAuburn. Here, the highway has an intersection withUS 136, the Heritage Scenic Byway. The highway continues north out of Auburn and travels five miles (8.0 km) before coming to an intersection withN-67. The two routes run concurrently for one mile (1.6 km) before N-67 diverges to the west towardsBrock. US 75 maintains its northerly heading for the next eight miles (13 km) before transitioning to a divided highway at an intersection withN-128. The highway then travels past the Nebraska City Municipal Airport as it heads towards a junction withN-2 on the south side ofNebraska City. Here, a business route of US 75 continues north into the city while mainline US 75 turns westerly and runs concurrently with N-2 along theJulius Sterling Morton Beltway as the highway bypasses the city on the southwest side. West of the city, the two highways diverge as N-2 heads west towardsLincoln and US 75 resumes its northerly trek as a standard two-lane highway.[1][4]
After leaving Nebraska City, the highway has a junction with Business Route US 75 northwest of the city along G Road. From this point, continuing north, US 75 generally runs parallel to, and within 10 miles (16 km) of theMissouri River for the duration of length. For the next eight miles (13 km) the highway travels through rural agricultural fields before coming to an intersection withUS 34 nearUnion. Here, US 34 joins up with US 75 and the two highways run concurrently to the north for the next seven miles (11 km) before they come to a junction withN-1 just east ofMurray. Continuing north, the concurrent highways travel west of Beaver Lake, then come to a junction withN-66 on the southwest side ofPlattsmouth. US 34 formerly turned east into Plattsmouth here to cross the Missouri River into Iowa via a tolled bridge, however a new bridge was opened upstream in October 2014 and US 34 was realigned to utilize the new crossing on the north side of thePlatte River nearLa Platte.[5] As such, US 34 continues concurrent with US 75 along the western side of Plattsmouth, acting as a bypass as the road widens to four lanes. The highway crosses the Platte River then comes to an interchange where US 34 departs to the east along the aforementioned new alignment while US 75 continues north intoBellevue. On the south side of Bellevue, US 75 becomes a limited access freeway known as the Kennedy Freeway. The freeway passes to the west ofOffutt Air Force Base just before it comes to an interchange withN-370.[1][4]
The freeway continues north through dense residential areas as it enters SouthOmaha. As the highway passes Chandler Road and bends to the northwest it crosses over the railroad before becoming a depressed freeway just before its interchange with Q Street. Shortly after another interchange, this time withUS 275 andN-92. Just one mile (1.6 km) later, the highway comes to a complex interchange withI-80 andI-480 near theHanscom Park area inMidtown Omaha. Here, US 75 joins Interstate 480 where it becomes known as the Gerald Ford Freeway. Together, the two freeways run concurrently past theGerald R. Ford Birthsite and Gardens, whereU.S. PresidentGerald R. Ford lived for a couple of weeks after his birth in 1913. The freeway continues north towards the newly developedMidtown Crossing at Turner Park. Opened in 2010, it's a seven building, 16-acre (6.5 ha) mixed-use development containing luxury condominiums, apartments, and more than 225,000 square feet (20,900 m2) of dining, entertainment, and shopping. Here, Interstate 480 departs to the east where it heads intoDowntown Omaha before crossing the Missouri River intoCouncil Bluffs. US 75 continues as the North Freeway pastCreighton University intoNorth Omaha where it has an incomplete interchange withN-64. The freeway then has an interchange with the Sorensen Parkway and the Storz Expressway which heads east toEppley Airfield. Shortly after, the freeway becomes a surface four-lane street as it travels through theMiller Park area and theMinne Lusa Residential Historic District, a large single-family residential development that was built by a single firm between 1915 and 1941. The highway then continues north through theFlorence neighborhood, one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. Shortly after, the highway turns west just prior toI-680 and runs alongside it for about one mile (1.6 km) along McKinley Street before turning north and passing beneath the interstate. Here the highway leaves the city and continues on its path to the north.[1][4]
The portion of US 75 north of Omaha to Interstate 129 is designated as the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway begins. Throughout the remainder of the highway's length parallel to the Missouri River, the highway passes near the locations of former campsites of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As US 75 continues north beyond the Omaha City Limits, the highway winds its way through rolling hills before entering the Missouri River plain just south ofFort Calhoun. From here, the highway continues its northward travel along the edge of the river plain towardsBlair. Here, in Blair, US 75 comes to a junction with US 30, The Lincoln Highway, and together the two routes run concurrently along Washington Street for one-half mile (800 m) before coming to an intersection withN-91. Here, US 30 diverges to the southwest towardsFremont while US 75 resumes heading north. About nine miles (14 km) later the highway passes through the small village ofHerman and six miles (9.7 km) later enters the city ofTekamah where it has an intersection withN-32 just after crossing Tekamah Creek. The highway continues north out of Tekamah, still following the edge of the rolling hills and Missouri River plain passing through rich agricultural fields, for 15 miles (24 km) before coming to an intersection withN-51 on the south edge ofDecatur just west of the Onawa Materials Yard and Middle Decatur Bend State Wildlife Areas, bothenclaves of Nebraska that are situated on the eastern side of theMissouri River and are only accessible via roads inIowa. US 75 and N-51 run concurrently through Decatur for one-half mile (800 m) before N-51 departs to the east to cross the Missouri River into Iowa while US 75 continues north out of town. Heading out of Decatur, the highway climbs back into the rolling hills as it turns northwest into theOmaha Reservation towards the tribal seat ofMacy. North of Macy, the highway comes to a junction withN-94 and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) later intersectsUS 77 just south ofWinnebago. Here the two highways run concurrently to the north as they emerge from the rolling hills back into the Missouri River plain as they pass through the village ofHomer. About six miles (9.7 km) later, the two-lane highway becomes a four-lane divided highway as it approachesDakota City. On the west side of Dakota City, the highways intersectN-35 before continuing on to the north. two miles (3.2 km) later the highway approaches an interchange withI-129 andUS 20 on the southwest side ofSouth Sioux City. Here, US 20 heads west towardsO'Neill while US 77 heads north intoSioux City, Iowa. US 75 joins I-129 and US 20 to head east across the southern portion of South Sioux City to the Sergeant Floyd Memorial Bridge which crosses the Missouri River and continues into Iowa.[1][4]
Prior to the state highway system, travel across Nebraska was accomplished via foot, horseback, and horse-drawn wagons. Many important historical routes passed through or along the present day US 75 corridor. After the acquisition of vast territory in theLouisiana Purchase, PresidentThomas Jefferson commissioned an expedition to explore and map the newly acquired territory. A select group of U.S. Army volunteers led by CaptainMeriweather Lewis and Second LieutenantWilliam Clark, TheLewis and Clark Expedition, which began on May 14, 1804 nearSt. Louis, reached southeastern Nebraska in July of that year. As they traveled northwest along the Missouri River the expedition would set up camp at sites on land in present-day Nebraska at several locations. Many of these campsites are recognized by monuments established by the Nebraska Historical Society along the US 75 corridor near the towns ofRulo,Brownville,Plattsmouth,Omaha,Fort Calhoun,Blair, andJackson.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] US 75 parallels the Missouri River for the majority of its length in Nebraska and provides access to many historical sites related to the expedition, as such the highway from Omaha north to Interstate 129 is designated the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway, one of nine scenic byways in the state of Nebraska.[2]
Discovery of gold in Colorado and Montana promoted Nebraska City to a central hub for freight between 1858 and 1865 as thousands of wagons transported supplies via the Nebraska City Cutoff of the Oregon Trail west to Fort Kearny.[13] As the shortest distance between Fort Kearny and the Missouri River,[14] this plowed furrow extended over 180 miles (290 km) between Nebraska City and Fort Kearny and during the peak of its use in 1865, over 44 million pounds (20 kt) of supplies were shipped before the construction of theUnion Pacific Railroad provided a superior means of transportation.[15][16]
US 75 has existed since the inception of the US Numbered Highway System in 1926. In particular, US 75 originally ran fromGalveston, Texas, to theCanadian border nearNoyes, Minnesota. Specifically, in Nebraska, the highway followed much of the present day corridor between the Kansas state line and Omaha. In Omaha, US 75 turned east to cross the Missouri River into Iowa where it then turned north to travel on the Iowa side of the river toSioux City, Iowa. At this same time, US 73 entered Nebraska south ofFalls City and ran north throughShubert andHowe before terminating at an intersection with US 75.[17][18] By 1937, US 73 was realigned to meet US 75 nearDawson. The two highways then ran concurrently north into Omaha where US 75 turned east to cross the Missouri into Iowa. Meanwhile, US 73 continued north toTekamah where it split into US 73W and US 73E designations. The former traveled west throughCraig toOakland where it met up with US 77 and ran concurrently to south ofWinnebago. US 73E ran north throughDecatur andMacy meeting up with US 73W and US 77 near Winnebago. Here US 73 and US 77 continued concurrently toSouth Sioux City.[19] Between 1970 and 1972 the US 73 designation was truncated back to Winnebago removing the concurrency with US 77.[20][21]
TheFederal Aid Highway Act of 1956 introduced theInterstate Highway System to the United States and the plan called for a highway along the eastern bank of theMissouri River along and parallel to the existing US 75 corridor.[22] Construction began in the late 1950s near Sioux City and Council Bluffs on what would become theInterstate 29 corridor in Iowa. As portions of the new interstate were completed the US 75 designation was moved off its two-lane highway onto the Interstate.[23] In 1984, proposals toAASHTO by theNebraska Department of Roads recommended truncating the designation of US 73 on its northern end back to Dawson. At the same time, theIowa Department of Transportation, jointly with NDOR, suggested removing the US 75 designation from the I-29 corridor in Iowa and assigning it to the former US 73 route north of Dawson in Nebraska. The changes were approved during the May 23, 1984 meeting and the transfer was made official on December 5, 1984.[3][24][25]
.svg) Interstate 580 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Length | 1.9 mi[26] (3.1 km) |
| Existed | 1976–1982 |
The limited access portion of US 75 north of Interstate 480 is currently known as the North Freeway. In 1976, the Department of Roads applied to theAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to assign this route asInterstate 580. This designation was approved during the July 13, 1976 annual meeting.[27] The official state highway maps from 1980[28] and 1981–1982[29] and official state traffic flow maps from 1977[30] and 1979[31] also show the Interstate 580 designation along the North Freeway, but it was not present in highway maps after 1982 or traffic flow maps after 1979. Originally, the route was planned to extend north and terminate with Florence Boulevard. Plans from the 1960s extended the highway north through Florence toI-680. The I-580 designation was dropped when the state refused to upgrade the I-480/580 interchange to interstate standards.[28] Part of the original plans to extend the freeway to Florence Boulevard came to fruition when the Storz Expressway met Florence Boulevard at a partial interchange before continuing on toEppley Airfield.[32]
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richardson | Nemaha Precinct | 0.00 | 0.00 |  US-75 south –Topeka | Continuation intoKansas | |
| 4.47 | 7.19 |  N-8 –Falls City,DuBois,Pawnee City | ||||
| Grant Precinct | 10.55 | 16.98 |  US 73 south (Lewis and Clark Trail south) –Verdon,Falls City | Southern end of LCT overlap; northern terminus of US 73 | ||
| Grant Precinct–Porter Precinct line | 12.71 | 20.45 |   N-4 west –Humboldt | Eastern terminus of N-4 | ||
| Porter Precinct | 16.71 | 26.89 |   N-62 east –Stella,Shubert | Western terminus of N-62 | ||
| Nemaha | Auburn | 27.78 | 44.71 |  US 136 (Central Avenue) –Tecumseh,Brownville | ||
| Glen Rock Precinct | 32.79 | 52.77 |  N-67 south –Peru | Southern end of N-67 overlap | ||
| 33.79 | 54.38 |  N-67 north –Brock | Northern end of N-67 overlap | |||
| Julian | 37.20 | 59.87 |  S-64A west (Main Street) –Julian | Eastern terminus of S-64A | ||
| Otoe | Otoe Precinct | 42.23 | 67.96 |  N-128 west (N Road) –Lorton | Eastern terminus of N-128 | |
| Nebraska City | 46.20 | 74.35 |  11th Street (US 75 Bus. north) –Nebraska City N-2 east –Iowa | Interchange; southern end of N-2 overlap; 11th St. servesCHI Health St. Mary's Hospital | ||
| Four Mile–Belmont precinct line | 47.90– 48.88 | 77.09– 78.66 | N-2 west –Lincoln 4th Corso (N-2 Bus. east) –Nebraska City | Interchange; northern end of N-2 overlap | ||
| Belmont–Wyoming precinct line | 50.63 | 81.48 |  US 75 Bus. south (G Road) –Nebraska City | |||
| Cass | Union | 58.87 | 94.74 |  US 34 west (66th Street) –Union,Lincoln | Southern end of US 34 overlap | |
| Murray | 65.91 | 106.07 |  N-1 west –Murray | Eastern terminus of N-1 | ||
| Plattsmouth | 71.94 | 115.78 |  N-66 west –Louisville | Eastern terminus of N-66 | ||
| Plattsmouth Precinct | 74.96 | 120.64 | — | Webster Boulevard / Bay Road –Plattsmouth | Southern end of Kennedy Freeway | |
| Platte River | 76.11 | 122.49 | Bridge | |||
| Sarpy | Bellevue | 77.83 | 125.26 | — | US 34 east –Glenwood IA | Northern end of US 34 overlap |
| 78.47– 79.63 | 126.29– 128.15 | — | Fairview Road | |||
| 80.19 | 129.05 | — | Capehart Road –Offutt Air Force Base | |||
| 81.74 | 131.55 | — |  N-370 west –Papillion,Bellevue | |||
| 83.05 | 133.66 | — | Cornhusker Road | |||
| 84.77 | 136.42 | — | Chandler Road / Fort Crook Road | |||
| Douglas | Omaha | 86.44 | 139.11 | — | Q Street | |
| 86.92 | 139.88 | — |   US 275 /N-92 (L Street) | |||
| 87.48 | 140.79 | — | F Street | No southbound exit | ||
| 87.96– 87.99 | 141.56– 141.61 | Northern end of Kennedy Freeway | ||||
| 452C |    I-480 begins (Gerald R. Ford Expressway begins) /I-80 –Downtown Omaha,Eppley Airfield,Council Bluffs,Des Moines,Lincoln | Southern end of I-480 overlap; counterclockwise terminus of I-480; exit 452C is for I-80 westbound; exit not numbered northbound; exit number based on I-80 mileage; I-80 exit 452 | ||||
| 88.88 | 143.04 | 1A | Martha Street | FormerN-38; exit numbers follow I-480 | ||
| 89.80 | 144.52 | 1B | Leavenworth Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 89.86 | 144.62 | 2A |   ToUS 6 (Dodge Street) / Harney Street | No southbound exit | ||
| 90.20 | 145.16 | — |  I-480 east (Gerald R. Ford Expressway) – Downtown Omaha | Northern end of I-480 overlap; exit 2C on I-480; southbound exit includes direct exit ramp to24th Street | ||
| Southern end of North Freeway | ||||||
| 90.23– 90.30 | 145.21– 145.32 | 2B | 30th Street / Dodge Street | No northbound exit | ||
| 90.84 | 146.19 | — |  N-64 west (Cuming Street) –Creighton University | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; eastern terminus of N-64 | ||
| 91.15 | 146.69 | — | Hamilton Street | |||
| 91.82 | 147.77 | — | Lake Street | |||
| 93.07 | 149.78 | — | Ames Avenue | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 93.33 | 150.20 | — | Storz Expressway toFlorence Boulevard –Eppley Airfield | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 93.48 | 150.44 | Sorenson Parkway /Storz Expressway toEppley Airfield | At-grade intersection; northern end of North Freeway | |||
| 96.22 | 154.85 |   L-28H north (31st Street) toI-680 | L-28H unsigned; southern terminus of L-28H | |||
| 97.19 | 156.41 |  N-36 west (McKinley Street west) | Eastern terminus of N-36 | |||
| 97.40– 97.42 | 156.75– 156.78 | I-680 | I-680 exit 12 | |||
| Washington | Blair | 114.75 | 184.67 |  US 30 east (Washington Street) | Southern end of US 30 overlap | |
| 115.26 | 185.49 |  US 30 west (19th Street) /N-91 west (Washington Street) | Northern end of US 30 overlap; eastern terminus of N-91 | |||
| Burt | Tekamah | 132.61 | 213.42 |  N-32 west (L Street) –Oakland | Eastern terminus of N-32 | |
| Decatur | 148.46 | 238.92 |  N-51 west –Bancroft | Southern end of N-51 overlap | ||
| 148.96 | 239.73 |  N-51 east (7th Street) toI-29 | Northern end of N-51 overlap | |||
| Thurston | Blackbird Township | 161.23 | 259.47 |  N-94 west –Pender | Eastern terminus of N-94 | |
| Winnebago | 168.77 | 271.61 |  US 77 south –Fremont | Southern end of US 77 overlap | ||
| Dakota | Dakota City | 182.39 | 293.53 |  N-35 west –Hubbard,Wayne,Norfolk | Eastern terminus of N-35 | |
| Covington Precinct | 184.73 | 297.29 | 1B |    I-129 west /US 20 west /Lewis and Clark Trail northUS 77 north | Cloverleaf interchange; exit numbers follow I-129; northern end of US 77/LCT overlap, southern end of I-129/US 20 overlap; exit number is for US 77, no exit number northbound; exit 1A on I-129 | |
| South Sioux City | 185.83 | 299.06 | 2 | US 20 Bus. east –South Sioux City,Dakota City | ||
| Missouri River | 187.54 | 301.82 | Sergeant Floyd Memorial Bridge;Nebraska–Iowa line | |||
| I-129 east /US 20 east /US 75 north | Continuation intoSioux City, Iowa | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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 U.S. Route 75 | ||
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