25 Years in the Making
It took $115 million, 17 million pounds of steel and more than 24,000 cubic yards of concrete, but the new bridge connecting Highway 34 from Iowa to Nebraska has finally opened.
Iowa and Nebraska Governors Terry Brandstad and Dave Heineman officially opened the bridge at a ceremony Oct. 22.
“The U.S. 34 project has opened the door for significant economic growth and development, shaping a new landscape for this region,” Branstad said. “This new bridge brings with it much more than just an easy connection between the citizens of Mills and Sarpy counties. The bridge and adjoining roadways will significantly increase the traffic capacity in the region.
“More traffic means more people to the communities supporting existing businesses and the growth of new businesses.”
Similar expectations for the bridge were voiced by Heineman.
“The completion of this bridge is another big step forward for both of our states,” Heineman said. “A strong regional economy benefits both Nebraska and Iowa. Our two states are on the move and we want to do even better in the future.”
Heineman said the bridge, will be an asset to bringing commerce to the region.
“This new bridge provides a more sustainable transportation system for the future and will greatly assist in creating, growing and recruiting businesses to this area,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, we want to educate our young people and then we want to make sure that we create jobs for them right here in our two states.”
A project more than 20 years in the making, economic and city leaders in Iowa are anxious to see how much of a business boon the bridge brings.
“It’s just going to open up southwest Iowa to a lot of people who have really never paid attention to southwest Iowa,” Malvern banker Jay Burdic said. “I truly feel it’s going to bring more people, more traffic, more housing and more business. I see no possible scenario where this isn’t going to be a positive for Glenwood, Malvern and I think even as far east as Emerson.”
Business leaders in Red Oak are hopeful the economic impact of the bridge stretches even further east into Montgomery County.
“It’s going to make it a lot more timely to get from Red Oak to Omaha or Red Oak to Lincoln,” Montgomery County Development Corporation executive director George Maher said. “I look for it to be positive in two ways. It’s going to open up economic development and provide more jobs for people in Red Oak. We’ve got a number of people who go into Omaha to work and it’s going to make a better connection for them.”
Maher said opening up southwest Iowa to Sarpy County and the Omaha metropolitan area should be a boost to the housing market in the region.
“We’ve got people living in smaller communities that want to live close to a major metropolitan area and we have people who work in the metro area who want to relocate to a small town,” Maher said. “I know a lot of people talk negatively about being close to a metropolitan area, but I’m not one of them. I think the metropolitan area has a lot of things to offer that we need.”
Maher cited Red Oak’s proximity to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield (about a 60-minute drive) as a major asset when trying to lure new businesses to the community.
As members of the transportation committee for the Southwest Iowa Coalition, Maher and Glenwood banker Larry Winum have been advocating construction of the Highway 34 bridge for nearly 25 years.
Geographically, Glenwood appears to be the community that will feel the greatest impact of the bridge, but Winum said getting the bridge built has always been part of the coalition’s grand plan to have Highway 34 widened to four lanes all the way from Interstate 29 to Interstate 35 (in central Iowa).
“That’s the next big deal for the Southwest Iowa Coalition,” Winum said. “Those communities along the Highway 34 corridor are supportive of the bridge, but the main reason they’re supporting it is they’re hoping travel counts will get to the level that it forces 34 to be made into a four-lane all the way across.”
Paul Griffen, executive director of the Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association, believes the new bridge and efforts to widen Highway 34 to four lanes will not only be beneficial to attracting commerce, but a shot in the arm for regional tourism. He said after the bridge opens and metro area residents become more familiar with southwest Iowa, they’ll be more likely to spend a day or weekend in Montgomery County.
“A person might be out for a drive and say, ‘Let’s stop off at Viking Lake, the Montgomery County History Center or go see a show at the Wilson Performing Arts Center,” Griffen said.
Griffen said he expects Red Oak business leaders to look for new ways to market the community to eastern Nebraskans.
Marketing strategy discussions have already taken place in Malvern where Burdic and members of the Malvern Area Betterment Association (MABA) intend to promote their community as a great place to visit and live.
“TV, print, billboards. We just want to make sure everybody in Bellevue, Omaha and Sarpy County knows exactly where we are and what we have to offer,” Burdic said. “Just look at all the things we offer for a town of 1,200 people. There aren’t many towns our size that can offer a pharmacy, a full-time doctor, grocery store, library, golf course, a swimming pool, bike trail, steak house and ice cream shop. We want to make sure we get that word out.”