I discovered this oddly fascinating postcard of the Interstate 480 Exit Ramp when I worked at an antiques store in the Old Market years ago. What a strange feature for a postcard. Of course, that only made me love it all the more, for it struck me as being VERY OMAHA. Some of you may recognize this off-ramp just east of Central High School. Twentieth Street is observed traveling north-south, directly beneath this featured ramp.

 

 

The back of the postcard only made me smile more:

 

“Interstate 480-Exit Ramp–The prize-winning structure is an outstanding example of aesthetic design which is compatible with urban surroundings. It is believed to be the first trapezoidal, unsymmetrical steel box girder bridge completed in the United States.”

 

What was just a funny, mysterious postcard for all these decades needed more investigating. Indeed, in July of 1970 little Omaha’s Interstate Ramp received the “Most Beautiful” award, recognized as one of the six most aesthetically pleasing steel bridges constructed in the United States in 1969. The Interstate 480 exit ramp to Twentieth Street and Capitol Avenue won first place in its category at the 42nd annual Bridge Competition of the American Institute of Steel Construction. The contest jury, comprising five architects, university faculty members, and engineers, stated in its report to the institute: “The bold, clean lines of the curved box girder are particularly compatible with the urban surroundings. This is an imaginative design that illustrates what can be done to create an attractive bridge in a downtown city area. This is believed to be the first trapezoidal, unsymmetrical steel box girder bridge completed in the United States.”

1970. Omaha World-Herald archive.

 

 

 

So it was true–the ramp was recognized as the premier-designed highway grade separation bridge in the competition.

 

The exit ramp was designed by Nebraska Department of Roads staff engineers. (Government workers, for those in the back.) It was erected by the Foster-Smetana Company and Fischer-Nixon-Greer, Inc. of Omaha. The steel was fabricated by the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co. of Des Moines. It was one of two prize-winning bridges designed by a public agency. Other winning entries were designed by engineering companies. The institute said a stainless-steel plaque designating the ramp as a prize winner will be attached to the structure. Have we seen this? Where would one stop to observe this plaque? I am wondering if we have seen it on the under supports when walking?

 

**Addendum of October 14, 2025. I was happy to hear from Randy Greer on this article’s FB post where he gave permission to share this news. Randy’s father, Doc Walter Greer, was the superintendent on the Interstate 480 Exit bridge. “I was a crane operator during the construction. I’m 81 and now live in Florida. This is the last surviving sign of the company.  This company was sold out in approximately 1976 when the three principals retired.”  Thank you, Randy for sharing your memories.

 

 

The Fischer-Nixon-Greer, Inc. sign, courtesy of Randy Greer.

 

By September 1970, the aesthetically pleasing 480 exit ramp at Twentieth Street was causing issues. Police estimated that water reached a depth of 18 to 24 inches where it collected in the right lane of the ramp “when a drain, for at least the second time this summer, became clogged.” Traffic backed up onto the Interstate when a vehicle in the right lane veered into the left to evade two cars stalled in the pool of water. State Division Engineer Errol W. Tupper said there “apparently is something wrong with the drain that we haven’t found yet. We’re trying to figure it out.” I can attest that this was a fun, icy ramp in the winters of the late 1980s. They appeared to have worked these kinks out.

 

 

I think I found the current exit ramp drainage solution, right onto the impromptu skate spot hang area. Joking, of course…but maybe not…

 

 

**Addendum of October 18, 2025. My Omaha Obsession super sleuth, Joe Munch, just sent in these fabulous photographs. The award plaque is under the bridge in the suspicious park that I had found online. Joe did a stakeout and captured these great images.

 

Thank you, Joe!

 

Hold your head up, Omaha. We are a city of Off-Ramp Winners.

 

 

 

(In review, I see that My Omaha Obsession friend, Steve Raglin, posted this very postcard years ago on another site unbeknownst to me. Giving credit where credit is due to those who embrace weird postcards!)

 

 

1967 photo of Interstate 480. Photographer: John Savage (1903-1989). Durham Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thank you, Omaha friends.

Miss Cassette

 

 

 

 

I welcome your feedback and comments on the fascinating postcard of the off-ramp. Please share your additional clues to the story in the “Comments.”  Everyone would love to read what you have to say, and it makes the sharing of Omaha history more fun. You can use an anonymous smokescreen name if need be. We want to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

 

© Miss Cassette and myomahaobsession, 2025. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Miss Cassette and myomahaobsession with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

 

This brief article was inspired by and written alongside with the background music of a young Makaya McCraven.