Sarpy County I-80 Planning and Environmental Linkages Study

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The Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA), in coordination with Sarpy County and the Cities of Gretna and Papillion, is developing the Sarpy County I-80 Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study. The planning process began during summer 2020 and was completed in early 2023.

Final Report Documents

The map below shows the area considered by this study. The Environmental Review Area includes all of western Sarpy County and was used to collect relevant social, economic, and environmental data. The Alternatives Study Area has been centered along I-80 from just west of Pflug Road to just east of the N-370 interchange. The Alternatives Study Area also includes a small buffer both north and south of I-80 to encompass any necessary roadway connections.

BACKGROUND

The concept of a PEL study is to bring together the planning efforts conducted up to and during this stage and to integrate them into the environmental documentation process, or NEPA, and to help make that transition as smooth as possible. NEPA is a strict process law and requires certain protocols to be followed during project development, alternatives screening, and evaluation of impacts. A PEL study offers a little more flexibility in the planning process, yet still requires enough detail to be gathered and considered.

The results of this PEL will inform, direct, and assist the NEPA process and decision makers when it comes to pursuing specific projects identified during the PEL process. The PEL process is particularly useful when the number and/or types of projects are unknown, the costs or potential resources are unknown, and the funding sources or impacts are unknown. The PEL process can help identify these unknowns, direct decision makers to the appropriate NEPA document, and begin to lay the framework for avoiding impacts and identifying funding sources.