Bellevue Charts Path Forward for Fort Crook Bridge: Three Alternatives, One Major Decision

BELLEVUE, NE — The City of Bellevue is moving closer to a long-term solution for the aging Fort Crook Road bridge corridor. During a recent public open-house, city officials and engineers presented three primary reconstruction alternatives for the vital link spanning Papillion Creek and the Union Pacific Railroad.

The meeting is a key part of the ongoing Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) Study, conducted in coordination with the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT). The study’s goal is to identify transportation needs and position Bellevue to compete for critical federal funding.

“The goals are to restore southbound connectivity, improve safety and reliability, and bring the bridges up to current standards,” project engineer Jay Fallick with JEO Consulting Group told attendees.

The Three Alternatives at a Glance

Fallick presented three primary alternatives for the corridor.

Alternative One would largely maintain the current traffic configuration while demolishing and replacing the two existing bridges with a single new structure. The design would retain free-flowing ramps similar to the current layout and include two northbound and two southbound through lanes.

Fallick said this option would likely be the most expensive because of the larger bridge size and the need for more complex curved bridge construction.

Alternative Two would reduce bridge size and cost by slightly altering the roadway alignment and eliminating some of the current free-flow ramp movements. Drivers would instead encounter stop-controlled ramp intersections.

Alternative Three would feature the same bridge design as Alternative Two but would significantly reconfigure the Capehart Road interchange area by adding a pair of roundabouts intended to improve traffic flow and safety.

“Alternative Two would be the least expensive,” Fallick said. “The most expensive would be Alternative Three.”

He noted, however, that the bridge portions of Alternatives Two and Three are identical, meaning roundabouts could potentially be added later as a separate phase.

Editor’s Note: While Option 1 has the largest and most expensive bridge, Options 2 and 3 use a smaller bridge design that costs less to build. However, Option 3 also includes major additional roadway improvements — including two roundabouts and more reconstruction work — which makes it the most expensive overall project.

In total estimated cost, the options rank from lowest to highest as:

Option 2 → Option 1 → Option 3

Community Concerns: More Than Just a Detour

Since the southbound bridge was shuttered, residents have felt the impact. Display boards at the meeting summarized feedback from previous sessions, highlighting several key pain points:

• Commuter Impact: Increased travel times and congestion.
• Strategic Access: Challenges for neighborhoods and Offutt Air Force Base.
• Safety: Confusing intersections and poor visibility in the current layout.

The “Why Not Just Repair It?” Debate

A question from the public was whether the existing northbound bridge could be repaired and reopened to single-lane traffic in both directions. Fallick clarified that structural deficiencies make this impractical.

Fallick explained that the bridge would require the deck to be torn up. He noted that any significant repair would trigger a requirement from Union Pacific Railroad to address vertical clearance issues, which would drive costs to nearly the price of a total replacement.

Funding and the Road Ahead

Mayor Rusty Hike emphasized that preserving north-south corridors such as Fort Crook Road and 36th Street is essential to Bellevue’s growth, especially as the city seeks to eventually connect Fort Crook Road to Highway 34.

• The Price Tag: With a project estimate hovering near $50 million, the city is targeting federal grants to cover 80% of the cost, with a 20% local match.
• The Timeline: A final report for the PEL study is expected in July 2026.
• The Bottleneck: Once funding is secured, engineering and coordination with Union Pacific Railroad—which owns the right-of-way beneath the bridge—could add significant time to the project before shovels hit the ground.