Nebraska

[DandyDan]

Why was N-61 realigned in Oglalla?  I see the realigned route is over 4 miles longer taking motorists west along US 30 to a remote intersection 2 miles west and then north to only to head back east 2 miles along old US 26 to Spruce Street.

They should have kept Spruce Street as N-61 and just given US 26 the realignment.

Anyone going north of Ogallala on N-61 more than likely knows their way around Ogallala and knows their ultimate destination so following N-61 is unnecessary.

[Great Lakes Roads]

An update on the widening of I-80 to six-lanes between NE-103 and NW 56th Street (west of Lincoln).
Long-term plans call to widen I-80 to six-lanes towards Grand Island.

[Molandfreak]

Why was N-61 realigned in Oglalla?  I see the realigned route is over 4 miles longer taking motorists west along US 30 to a remote intersection 2 miles west and then north to only to head back east 2 miles along old US 26 to Spruce Street.

They should have kept Spruce Street as N-61 and just given US 26 the realignment.

Anyone going north of Ogallala on N-61 more than likely knows their way around Ogallala and knows their ultimate destination so following N-61 is unnecessary.

I don't think that's always the case. The State Recreation Area and various campgrounds surrounding Lake McConaughy are pretty popular, and not all of the visitors are locals.

[DandyDan]

Why was N-61 realigned in Oglalla?  I see the realigned route is over 4 miles longer taking motorists west along US 30 to a remote intersection 2 miles west and then north to only to head back east 2 miles along old US 26 to Spruce Street.

They should have kept Spruce Street as N-61 and just given US 26 the realignment.

Anyone going north of Ogallala on N-61 more than likely knows their way around Ogallala and knows their ultimate destination so following N-61 is unnecessary.

I don't think that's always the case. The State Recreation Area and various campgrounds surrounding Lake McConaughy are pretty popular, and not all of the visitors are locals.

I was thinking more about the cattle ranchers north of Lake McConaughy. Now that I think of it, I wonder if there is a long term plan to create a west Ogallala exit.

[mrose]

Yes, they get quite a lot from Colorado.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Here's the video of the progress of widening I-80 to six lanes west of Lincoln.

[Molandfreak]

I'm seeing a new alignment of US 30 in the western part of Grand Island categorized as under construction in OSM. Does anyone have more information about this?

[Revive 755]

^ See https://dot.nebraska.gov/projects/future-projects/jct-us-281-west-grand-island/ and what appears to be a press release for the groundbreaking at https://dot.nebraska.gov/media/1lfpidmw/20240613-d4.pdf.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Here's a video on the progress of widening I-80 west of Lincoln to six lanes.
The westbound lanes are currently being reconstructed with new concrete pavement and two new mainline bridges. All four bridges over I-80 have been rebuilt.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://dot.nebraska.gov/projects/future-projects/n-66-connection-in-louisville/

NDOT will be filling in a gap that currently exists in Louisville...

[Great Lakes Roads]

Here's a video on the progress of widening I-80 west of Lincoln to six lanes.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Here's a video on the progress of widening I-80 west of Lincoln to six lanes.

[DandyDan]

Just curious, I went back to the Omaha area for Christmas and had a day for just driving around today.
The bridge that was at 72nd and L Street in Omaha was demolished. What is supposed to be the end result there? I assume either a conventional intersection or a roundabout.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Just curious, I went back to the Omaha area for Christmas and had a day for just driving around today.
The bridge that was at 72nd and L Street in Omaha was demolished. What is supposed to be the end result there? I assume either a conventional intersection or a roundabout.

It's being rebuilt into an at-grade intersection with traffic lights.

[Plutonic Panda]

Ground has broken on the Hastings southeast project:

https://dot.nebraska.gov/media/5fgjoi1x/20260112-d4-hastings-se.pdf

[mvak36]

https://www.norfolkneradio.com/news/pillen-ndot-celebrate-progress-on-us-275-expressway-goal-to-have-entire-corridor-open-to/article_3559c14f-207f-49da-a46b-6ead74873ce7.html

On Tuesday, Gov. Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Transportation formalized a major step forward in the completion of the vital U.S. Highway 275 corridor, making good on the Administration's 2024 commitment to expedite completion.

Construction will start on the final corridor segment, Wisner to West Point, in spring of 2026.

At the event, Pillen affirmed his commitment to have the entire corridor open to traffic by the end of 2028. Expediating the timeline has been a priority for the Administration, with Gov. Pillen publicly tasking the NDOT to make it happen.

...

Since 2023, the NDOT has completed approximately 19 miles  of the US-275 corridor.

With the three active segments, Pillen's NDOT will have completed over 47 miles of the corridor in under six years.

That additional funding through the bond issuances and LB 1412 jump-started the final series of construction segments on the corridor. The Scribner to West Point segment was completed in late 2024 with construction on the Nebraska Highway 57 east junction with Nebraska Highway 15, starting in April 2025.

The East Junction 15 to Wisner project started in October 2025 — both of these ongoing projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2028.

[Molandfreak]

Are bypasses of West Point, Beemer, and Wisner also in the works?

[Great Lakes Roads]

Are bypasses of West Point, Beemer, and Wisner also in the works?

No. The current highway through those towns is adequate to handle the increased traffic.

[Revive 755]

Are bypasses of West Point, Beemer, and Wisner also in the works?

No. The current highway through those towns is adequate to handle the increased traffic.

Wisner and West Point look like they should have been bypassed.  Both appear to have slow stretches like to have issues with enforcement (25 mph in Wisner, 30 mph in West Point).  Both also appear to have stretches that could be subject to road diets in the future for safety concerns due to the lack of center turn lanes.

Beemer does not look like it would it would be as annoying as Wisner and West Point.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://dot.nebraska.gov/projects/future-projects/fort-st-blair-high-rd-omaha/

NDOT to rebuild and widen I-680 to six lanes from Fort Street to Blair High Road (NE-133).

It will be a two-year project, with construction starting in Spring 2029 and a completion date of Fall 2030.

[Great Lakes Roads]

The Decatur Bridge will be replaced with a boring bridge structure at $92 million...

https://dot.nebraska.gov/projects/future-projects/decatur-bridge/

[Great Lakes Roads]

NDOT is currently undergoing a study for improvements on US 75 from N-370 interchange to the I-80/480 interchange.

[Molandfreak]

NDOT is currently undergoing a study for improvements on US 75 from N-370 interchange to the I-80/480 interchange.

Attempt 3.0 at an I-480 extension?