Photo Courtesy of Kevin Westhues, WOWT
This column has previously covered streetcar utility work in general, so let’s take a look at one crucial project in particular: the Turner Boulevard water main improvement. A lot is going on at Turner Boulevard: the streetcar tracks that share Farnam Street will split with the eastbound heading off to Harney Street and the westbound track coming from Farnam Street. There will be a streetcar stop here on Farnam between 31st and Turner. And this is where eastbound streetcars will raise their pantographs (the mechanism above the car that contacts the overhead wire) to connect with the energy system and charge the batteries on the vehicles.
Streetcar trains will literally be able to turn at Turner Boulevard. There will be a “wye” constructed here, which will allow streetcars to turn around from west to east. This special track gives the streetcar operation flexibility and allows the system to have continuous operation on either side of Turner in case of a service disruption. We can also run an additional streetcar in a loop between downtown and Turner Boulevard if there is a special event on the east side of the line that might require slightly more service than the planned 10-minute frequency.
Engineering Design of the “Wye” Turner
With all the action going on at the street (or track) level, it is essential that we update the underground utilities so that they do not need to be replaced for a long time, and also make sure that it is easy to maintain the utilities without disrupting streetcar service. Water main and deep sewer work on Turner Boulevard and on Farnam and Harney between Turner Boulevard and 29th Street began in October. A full closure of Farnam and Turner Boulevard started in January and will last approximately four months. The current schedule is to close this part of Farnam Street on January 12 and have this intersection open by the end of April.
Looking East at Turner and Farnam
Photo Courtesy of Kevin Westhues, WOWT
More information can be found online at the Omaha Streetcar website.
The City of Omaha hosts a monthly virtual meeting to discuss construction and answer questions. Register here for the January 14th, 2026, meeting. The December 2025 meeting can be viewed here on the Omaha Streetcar Authority YouTube channel. You can also sign up for weekly construction emails here.
Eric Miller is the Streetcar Operations Manager for the City of Omaha. Erik has a 21-year career in the transit industry that includes work in both the private and public sectors and work on planning and implementing bus and rail projects for transit agencies all across the country.