The Farnam Street bridge over I-480 reopened on Friday, September 25, ahead of schedule. Eastbound Farnam is still closed from Turner Boulevard to 40th Street while crews lay streetcar track in the north lanes. Together, those two facts mean Blackstone works in one direction this fall. Westbound Farnam from downtown and Midtown carries you over the new bridge and straight into the district. Coming from Dundee on eastbound Farnam, you hit a closure at 40th. That direction is the thing to plan a dinner around, and it matters most on Saturday, October 10, when the district holds its biggest event of the year.
What the Bridge Actually Reconnected
According to the Omaha Streetcar Authority's September 30 newsletter, the bridge reopening improves access between Midtown Crossing, Blackstone and downtown. The Authority says the Farnam bridge opened two months ahead of schedule. The Harney Street bridge reopened last November. WOWT reported the timing as three months early. Both sources agree the bridge is open again, and that reconnects Farnam between 28th Street and Park Avenue.
The bridge also has an extra-wide lane designed for a future bikeway, but the city has said the bike lane is not back yet. For now, it is a driving route first.
Once you're over the bridge and heading west, the closure is on the other side of the street. The Authority's Blackstone update for the week of September 28 says westbound Farnam stays open. Eastbound remains closed from Turner to 40th, and crosswalks close off and on for track and concrete work.
The Route, Laid Out
| Starting point | What to expect this week | Where it puts you |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown or Old Market, heading west on Farnam | The reopened I-480 bridge, then open westbound lanes through Midtown | The middle of Blackstone |
| Midtown Crossing garage | The Authority directs drivers to 33rd Street or Harney | Harney, one block south of Farnam |
| Dundee or west of 40th, heading east on Farnam | Two-way traffic west of 40th, then the eastbound closure begins at 40th | Turn off at 40th and use Harney |
| Anywhere near 42nd and Dewey | 42nd Street closed between Farnam and Dewey for UNMC crane work, in place for five months from September 1 | Plan around it through about the end of January |
A shorter closure is also in effect. 38th Avenue between Harney and Farnam is closed to through traffic for ten days of utility work on a private project. Check the Authority's Blackstone construction page before you leave. It posts updates weekly, and the closure lines change from week to week.
Why Harney Does the Real Work
Every route in that table ends on Harney, and the parking is there. The Blackstone public garage sits between 37th and 38th Streets and between Harney and Farnam. It has 385 spaces. Park Omaha lists the rate as $2.50 an hour with a $25 daily maximum. In July, a general manager on the strip told WOWT the garage offers two free hours. Park Omaha's own announcement doesn't say how that free period applies, so check the signs at the gate.
The Authority also lists 40th and Harney as backup parking when street parking on Farnam is unavailable. Crews are currently surveying the south-side parking tray between 39th and 40th.
Jessie Joy, general manager at Jay's Games & Beer Garden, has run the business entirely during construction. She described the parking problem this way:
"There's plenty of places to park — it's just not the convenient spots right in front. As long as you're willing to walk a couple blocks, it's not a big deal."
Jason Pruitt, executive chef and general manager at Fifth House near 39th and Farnam, has seen the same problem from the restaurant side. He told 3 News Now that fewer parking spots nearby have hurt business, and that customers don't want to walk four or five blocks. The garage puts most of the district within a block or two, which shortens that walk.
Who's Open on the Strip Right Now
Coming in westbound and parking on Harney makes sense only if the places you want are open. Here is the latest verified status:
- Fifth House reopened Wednesday, September 2, after closing for about a week and a half at the end of August. It had received a partial grant from the streetcar relief fund.
- Noli's Pizzeria Blackstone at 4001 Farnam closed in mid-September after its cooler broke. Owner Joel Marsh said the business had run nine years without a problem like it. The World-Herald then reported it had reopened, with evening-only hours to start. Confirm current hours before going. The Noli's in Aksarben kept its regular hours throughout.
- Shoeman's Liquor & More opened right on the streetcar route. Owner Chad Shoeman told WOWT the business is doing well. He chose the spot because there are about 1,100 apartments on Farnam between 36th and 40th. Its grocery at 3737 Farnam opened May 1.
- Crescent Moon lists daily hours on its website, and its Huber Haus is open Thursday through Saturday evenings.
- Mula is taking reservations and private-event bookings at its Blackstone location.
- Cunningham's is next door to the June collapse site. Inspectors declared it structurally sound.
WOWT reported on September 10 that the relief fund behind Fifth House's grant had made 70 grants and 70 loans and paid out 80% of its $5 million. The fund's director estimated about a year of construction and testing remained.
The Corner at 38th and Farnam
One block of the district has been fenced off since summer, and its future is now clearer. The foundation wall of the building at 3810-12 Farnam failed on June 21, and nearby buildings were briefly evacuated. The building was vacant when the wall gave way. In July, Cunningham's general manager Derek Richards said the city's temporary sidewalk bridge had helped people walk around the site. He suggested parking in the garage, walking up a block and circling around.
On September 15, the City Council approved a $700,000 settlement to buy the property. Kiewit is contributing $200,000. The plan is for the city to demolish the building and prepare the site for redevelopment, with a demolition contractor to be chosen later. WOWT reported the closing is due by October 15. For the rest of this fall, expect the site to look much as it does now.
Farnam Fest on October 10
Ten days from now, all of this gets tested by a crowd. Blackstone Farnam Fest runs Saturday, October 10, from noon to 8 p.m. in Blackstone Alley behind Scriptown. The district bills it as its largest annual event. Entry is free, with live music, food trucks, local vendors and an outdoor bar. As of today, the district hasn't posted the music or vendor lineups. Check the Blackstone District events calendar closer to the date.
Based on this week's closures, here is a workable plan for the day:
- Come in westbound on Farnam from downtown or Midtown and cross the reopened bridge.
- Turn south to Harney and park in the garage between 37th and 38th. If it's full, try the backup parking at 40th and Harney.
- Walk north to the alley behind Scriptown. Expect some crosswalks to be closed along the way.
- Leave on Harney rather than eastbound Farnam, which stays closed from 40th to Turner.
The district has used events like this before to bring people back to the corridor. The Rally on the Route block party on 16th Street drew 626 attendees, including 121 visitors from out of town, according to the Authority. After Farnam Fest, the next date on the calendar is Saturday, November 14. That day brings Second Saturday live music and a $10 chili cook-off at Scriptown from noon to 2 p.m.
When the One-Way Pattern Ends
The Authority expects to finish the north-side track between 36th and 37th Streets in late fall. Between 37th and 39th, the target is early 2027. The Midtown stretch between 34th and 37th is also scheduled for late fall. Streetcar testing runs from 2027 into 2028, and passenger service is scheduled for 2028. Until the 37th-to-39th block is finished, the core of Blackstone stays reachable from the east on Farnam, with Harney as the way in and out.
Planning a Blackstone visit on October 10, or just trying to make sense of how streetcar construction is changing central Omaha? At The Jackson Group, we keep up with these corridor details week by week so our neighbors don't have to. Schedule Your Concierge Consultation, and we'll talk through what the Farnam work means for the blocks you care about.
