Fort Street between 120th Street and 126th Street will shut down to through traffic starting October 26, kicking off a yearlong construction push that will turn the current two-lane road into a four-lane roadway with a median, new sidewalks, and multi-use paths. The work also includes a new bridge over Big Papillion Creek, with the whole project not expected to wrap until October 2027.
Public Meeting Set Days Before Crews Move In
Before the closure takes effect, the City of Omaha is giving residents a chance to weigh in. According to KETV, the city invited people to learn about the project and share input at a public informational meeting this Thursday, October 15, running from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Saddlebrook Community Center, 14850 Laurel Ave. The meeting will open with a formal presentation at 5:45 p.m., followed by informal small-group discussions with the project team, per NewsRadio 1110 KFAB.
KETV reports that a reconstruction plan video is available for residents who cannot attend in person. Metropolitan Utilities District crews are meanwhile handling utility relocation work in the area ahead of roadway construction. At its October 7 meeting, the MUD board approved selling a portion of its property near 120th and Fort streets to the city to accommodate the widening.
City Authorized Land Negotiations for Fort Street
The groundwork for the project stretches back to June, when the Omaha City Council passed Ordinance No. 44695 by a 7-0 vote on June 9, authorizing negotiations for private property, permanent easements, and temporary construction easements along the corridor, including condemnation proceedings for parcels that could not be obtained through negotiation. The ordinance, tied to project number OPW 54985, was detailed in the City of Omaha Public Notices. A Fort Street construction bid was listed, according to HigherGov.
The corridor has seen federal investment before. Back in 2019, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $16.9 million toward a $21.2 million project that widened the adjacent segment of 120th Street to four lanes between Stonegate Drive and Fort Street, according to the Office of U.S. Senator Deb Fischer. That project was completed around 2022, setting the stage for the current Fort Street push just to the west.
Tranquility Park Overhaul Drives the Traffic Growth
Tranquility Park Redevelopment Plans The project involves roadway improvements near Tranquility Park. Omaha voters will decide on a $30 million parks general obligation bond on the November 3 ballot, with funds designated to complete the park's redevelopment into a 16-field synthetic-turf youth soccer complex, according to Nebraska Public Media. The first 12 of those fields are scheduled to open in summer 2027, just as the Fort Street work is expected to finish.
Trail users in the area have also been factored into planning. Local organization Trails Have Our Respect partnered with Omaha Parks and Recreation to draft a Conceptual Master Plan for Natural Surface Trails at Tranquility Park, aimed at mitigating disruptions from the surrounding road and park work, including legacy trails in the park's tree nursery area.
One of Several Projects Reshaping Northwest Omaha
One of Several Projects Reshaping Northwest Omaha Fort Street's overhaul isn't happening in isolation. A separate concrete pavement reconstruction project along Fort Street between 108th Street and 114th Street, designated OPW 55130, was listed in a bid notice issued February 4, 2026, according to HigherGov. A separate project involves phased work on 156th Street in Sarpy County, as reported by Grow Omaha.
For now, the immediate takeaway for Northwest Omaha drivers is simple: plan around the closure between 120th and 126th starting October 26, and anyone with questions about detours or the project's design can bring them to Thursday's meeting at Saddlebrook Community Center before crews move in.
