MTIS: A Roadmap for Omaha’s Growing Transportation Needs
Over the past decade, the Omaha metro area has experienced significant growth in both population and economic activity. With this comes increased congestion on major roadways, rising safety concerns, and a growing demand for multimodal transportation options. As these challenges continue, it remains critical to have a long-term plan that ensures sustainable mobility and enhances the region’s transportation network.
To address this, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) and the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) conducted a study from 2014 to 2019. This effort was coordinated with other regional planning studies and projects and involved collaboration with key stakeholders across the Metro, including the City of Bellevue, the City of Council Bluffs, the City of La Vista, the City of Omaha, the City of Papillion, Douglas and Sarpy Counties, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The study area covered 83 miles of interstate freeways, 39 miles of other freeways/expressways, 180 miles of state highways, and 176 miles of local roads and identified key projects to improve mobility, safety, and connectivity across the Metro area.
The purpose of MTIS was to:
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Evaluate the region’s transportation network—including interstates, highways, local roads, bike facilities, pedestrian infrastructure, and transit. Note: NDOT is responsible for implementing roadway improvements only on state highways and interstates.
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Assess factors such as safety, traffic flow, operational efficiency, right-of-way constraints, environmental considerations.
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Develop a comprehensive, strategic multi-modal plan for the interstate and major roadways in the region.
The outcomes of MTIS serve as a guiding framework for transportation investments in the Omaha metro over the next 20 to 30 years, ensuring that the transportation network effectively meets the long-term needs of the community. The resulting recommendations prioritize improvements in phases spanning 2025–2030, 2030–2035, 2035–2040, and 2040–2045.
MTIS Goals
Achieve a state-of-good-repair by prioritizing projects that address timely and cost-beneficial asset rehabilitation.
Reduce the growth of peak-period delay on freeways and improve system reliability and overall performance.
Reduce the growth of peak-period travel times for all modes, and increase transit access and ridership.
Address air quality concerns, consider land use in all improvements, and incorporate economic, social, and environmental criteria in project selection and programming decisions.
Reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
MTIS Projects
NDOT has begun work on several NDOT-led projects recommended in MTIS. Project updates will be posted here as the process moves forward. For more details, visit the project website. Interchange type and exact location are still being determined.
To learn more about the overall MTIS effort and access the final study report, visit MAPA's website.
Note: Nebraska’s state fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30.
FY2025
- I-80 WB, Q St. – Giles Road (NH-80-9(202); C.N. 22853)
- I-80 WB, N-50 Ramp, Omaha (NH-80-9(201); C.N. 22850)
FY2026 to FY2030
- US-6; 161st - 127th St., Omaha (C.N. 22870)
- I-80; N-370 to N-50 (C.N. 22871)
- I-80; 50th St. - I-480, Omaha (C.N. 22855)
- I-680; Irvington Rd. - Missouri River (C.N. 22851)
- I-680; Pacific St. - Dodge St., Omaha (C.N. 22852)
- I-680 & US-6 Interchange (C.N. 22872)
- I-680; Fort St. - Blair High Rd., Omaha (C.N. 22860)
How do MTIS recommendations become NDOT projects that may ultimately get constructed?
MTIS is an early step in NDOT’s planning, project development, and implementation process before a project can move to construction. NDOT’s project delivery process includes multiple review milestones and decision points, meaning a project may or may not advance to construction.
The graphic below provides a general illustration of this process, though actual timelines vary based on factors such as funding and project needs. Project delivery typically spans several years and includes opportunities for public input at key milestones.
TYPICAL HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PROCESS
What type of improvements is NDOT implementing?
System Preservation
NDOT is programming system preservation improvements recommended in the MTIS study for further study and engineering. System preservation projects improve, sustain, or restore the condition of the state highway system. Specifically, this type of work effectively maximizes the lifespan of existing infrastructure. System preservation projects typically include:
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Full roadway reconstruction
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Mill and overlay, which removes the top surface of the roadway for a new layer of asphalt
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Diamond grinding, which restores pavement by smoothing irregularities on concrete
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Minor maintenance activities to repair joints and seal cracks or chips in pavement
System preservation projects are recommended to occur on all major Omaha metropolitan highways and interstates, including I-80, I-480, I-680, US-75, and the West Dodge Expressway.
Expansion Improvements
NDOT is also programming expansion improvements recommended in MTIS for further study and engineering. Expansion improvements address operational deficiencies identified through the MTIS process. Generally, these types of projects improve operations or add capacity to freeway corridors by adding additional lanes to a roadway. Expansion projects typically include:
- New construction (additional capacity, turn lanes, interchanges)
- Bridge widening or replacement
- Property acquisitions
- Traffic signals
- Noise walls
- Retaining walls
Expansion projects were recommended to occur on all major Omaha metropolitan highways and interstates, including I-80, I-480, I-680, US-75 and the West Dodge Expressway.