WEST End of NE 370: Stoplight, US 6/NE 31, Gretna NE, Sarpy County NE
Facing west on 370
Facing north on 31, but heading east on 6
Nebraska is four-laning the remaining two-lane segment of 6/31 between I-80 and the Omaha area. The entire route of NE 370 can be seen on the Omaha inset of the Nebraska state map.
In Nebraska, 370 is the highest active state highway number; in Iowa, it's the second-highest after 415. I don't know why such a high number was chosen for the road, since Iowa had assorted lower numbers to spare in the early 1950s and Nebraska hadn't cracked 150 at the time.
WEST End: Toll bridge, Nebraska state line, Bellevue NE, Mills County IA/Sarpy County NE
Trivia question: What official designation does Bellevue have, but unofficially loses about five days a year? Answer at the bottom of this page.
Facing west on 370
Photo by Neil Bratney
This is the last sign you see before leaving Iowa. It appears the toll has been increased since the sign was first put up. Nebraska likes to charge Iowans money; half of the two-lane bridges across the Missouri are toll. (IA 175, US 34, and IA 370 are toll; US 30, US 275/IA 92, and IA 2 are free.)
Photo by Neil Bratney
This is a view of the bridge from the Iowa side, looking northwest.
Facing east on 370 / Facing west on 370
Photos by Neil Bratney
The number continues across the river and, after leaving Bellevue, is four lanes all the way to its west end at US 6 in Gretna. The highway generally marks the south side of the Omaha urban area, complete with misleading urban directions. (I went to a movie in Bellevue in July 2003. The theater was advertised as being at "Hwy 370 and 36th St." I thus assumed that the theater would be visible from said intersection, being the naive rural Iowan I am. The actual location was "Hwy 370 and 36th St., go north over the hill, and turn left at the third light.")
View of bridge from Nebraska side, looking northeast
When the new US 34 bridge across the Missouri River is completed in 2013, Iowa plans on turning 370 and this bridge over to Mills County. (At least, it's going to try.) That would make IA 346 the second-highest signed number in the state behind 415.
EAST End: I-29/US 275 exit 42 and H10, Mills County
Facing east on 370 (2002)
Photo by Neil Bratney
The end sign appears just after the interchange, like IA 221. Also like 221, the highway used to continue past the interstate but that part was decommissioned. Compare to the picture below:
Facing east on 370 / Closeup
Left photo by Neil Bratney
The turnover of secret IA 935 led Mills County to sign H10. This is the only interchange involving the relocated US 275 without that route entering or exiting I-29.
Facing east on 370 (2003, pre-signage of H10)
Facing north on the 29 northbound offramp
Unlike 978, though, 935 was so secret it didn't get signed on the rural street signs. (It was visible on the state map, though.)
Facing west on 370
Facing south on 29
Since none of the other highways that end at I-29 have directional tags (e.g 127), why should this one? Also notice that, unlike the sign for 175, there's no indication that Bellevue is in Nebraska.
Facing north on 29, with a view of the Loess Hills
Facing north on 29
End 935 North
Facing southwest, but heading west, on 370; facing south on 935
This county sign without a Pottawattamie counterpart was the only indication for 20 years that part of 370 east of I-29 was not yet under county control. The state dropped it in 2003.
Old EAST End: Stop sign/T intersection, US 275, Pottawattamie County
Facing east (slightly northeast here) on 370
When 275 was moved in 2003, Pottawattamie County signed it as L35 (with the name placed somewhat sloppily, I might add). As a bonus, old 370 was finally signed as County Road H10. Due to its diagonal nature, this is the only Hxx north of the county tier line. This sign now reads "End H10".
DOT-style LGS in center of above picture
Facing northeast
Old 370 is to the left. The pole still had the mile marker in July 2003 but had "L35 <->" at top.
Facing south(west) on 275; right sign now reads "Jct H10"
Facing southwest (2003)
Facing southwest (2008)
Facing north on 275
Trivia answer: Whenever there's a Nebraska Cornhuskers home football game, Memorial Stadium in Lincoln - sold out for every game since 1962 - replaces Bellevue as the third-largest city in Nebraska.
Pictures by Neil Bratney: Third-sixth and ninth, 1/22/02; tenth, 3/28/04
Pictures by me: Top two, 7/29/07; eleventh, 6/12/06; seventh, eighth, 13th, 14th, 17th-19th, 22nd, and 26th, 4/6/08; twelfth, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st, 23rd-25th, and 27th, 6/9/03
Page created 4/13/02; last updated 8/3/08