Last week Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) formalized a major step forward in the completion of the vital U.S. Highway 275 (US-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. Expediting the timeline has been a priority for the Administration, with Gov. Pillen publicly tasking the NDOT to make it happen. The NDOT laid out elements of the strategic roadmap that is enabling the 2028 anticipated timeline.
The NDOT was able to condense the delivery timeline of US-275 thanks to the Nebraska Highway Bond Act and investments made through LB 1412 (2024). In 2023, Gov. Pillen authorized the Nebraska State Highway Commission to provide bond financing for projects under the Build Nebraska Act (BNA), including the Nebraska Expressway System. In Dec. 2024, the State Highway Commission unanimously approved the state’s first highway bond issuance – up to $200 million – to finish the US-275 expressway and fully connect northeast Nebraska to the interstate system and metropolitan areas.
NDOT has steadily advanced construction along the corridor to by utilizing a 2+2 approach, which involves building two new lanes parallel to the existing ones. This strategy is designed to maximize the use of existing infrastructure while minimizing environmental impacts and traffic disruptions. 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.
Graham Construction was awarded the contract for the Wisner to West Point segment. Hawkins Construction and Werner Construction Inc., both of whom are actively working on other portions of the expressway, were also recognized for their work.
Find the complete information on page 1A of the Jan. 29 edition in the Wayne Herald or subscribe today by clicking here.
