MaeveWharton

After decades of service, Military Ave was closed on Dec. 15, 2025. To the great surprise of the Marian and greater Omaha communities, a heavily travelled section of the historic Military Avenue is no longer in operation. Between North 70th Circle and North 67th Street, traffic is blocked from both directions for the foreseeable future. 

The reason for the closure? Construction of a new culvert, which will allow water from Cole Creek to flow under Military Ave. While inconvenient, the road is expected to fully reopen by June 2026.

Across grade levels, Marian girls are frustrated with this closure. According to a January Network survey of 194 students, 55% of students have been impacted by the construction. 

Marian senior driver Clare Engel said that the construction “added a lot of stress…especially because it was [first closed] during finals week.”

But the difficulties extend beyond just upperclassmen. Marielle Kolterman, a new sophomore driver, said, “it’s really inconvenient.”

The intended detour for Military Ave is for drivers to continue north, using Ames Avenue instead. However, this new route adds time and stress onto young drivers’ commutes. Engel instead uses 72nd Street, which “is a lot busier in the mornings.” Kolterman uses the Ames detour, but has found shortcuts to avoid traffic jams at certain lights. 

Many students like Engel and Kolterman have slightly adjusted their morning routines, leaving five to 10 minutes earlier to account for the increased traffic brought by the alternate routes. 

Although the city of Omaha reports that this closure had been planned for two years, drivers were surprised by the sudden announcement in early December. 

“I found out when it was posted … a week in advance,” Kolterman said. This sentiment is shared by other drivers.

“I feel like there should have been more communication…I don’t know if there was enough time for me to plan accordingly,” Engel said. 

Since the project services Marian and several other schools, Engel said she wishes they had “[thought] about the timing of the construction … maybe they could have pushed it to the summer when there’s less traffic.” 

“I feel like … it would have been a smarter decision to do it during the summer,” Kolterman said.

Online, critics of the project complain that the city of Omaha already has several ongoing major works of construction. According to Concrete Pipe and Cast, “box culverts offer … easy installation and maintenance. [They] can be quickly and efficiently installed, reducing construction time and costs.” With this information in mind, some question the lengthy timeline of the closure, while others predict it will take far longer than six months to complete the project.

Freshman Charolette McGill is driven to school by her dad, and the two used to take Military Avenue daily. Her dad, who owns a construction and concrete company and has experience working in the field, “agreed that they are blocking off too much…making it unnecessarily harder on anyone driving that way.”

Beyond daily commutes, this project has also impacted local businesses along Military Ave., such as Tiger Tom’s Sports Pub at 71st and Military, by dramatically reducing foot traffic. “It is really unfortunate [that the construction] directly affects the security and productivity of their jobs,” Engel said, “I hope the city works with them to find a way to reroute customers to support those important businesses.”

But for better or for worse, the project is here to stay (at least for the rest of the school year). For younger drivers, Engel suggests to “leave a little bit earlier if you can …be present with your driving.” Kolterman advises drivers to use navigation tools such as Apple Maps because “it will show you which time is shorter, and sometimes the route will change.” 

With these new routes come new driving challenges, so definitely “stay off your phone,” Engel said.