LINCOLN- State officials have announced one of the largest and most historic infrastructure investments in Nebraska, with plans to begin projects to construct and repair the state's highway system with around $689 million. The biggest of these projects will expand a 7.6-mile stretch of Interstate 80 to six lanes, from Northwest 56th Street in Lincoln all the way to Pleasant Dale. This project, projected to cost around $122.2 million, is part of a long-term plan to make I-80 six lanes from Lincoln to Grand Island.

Another major road project being planned is the rebuilding of the interchange at U.S. Highway 6 at the intersection of West Dodge Road and 192nd Street in Omaha. The interchange is expected to cost the state around $14.2 million, and will have a diverging diamond configuration, eliminating left turns to improve safety and relieve congestion. These, as well as many other, smaller projects, were detailed in a recent report by the Nebraska Department of Transportation, the Surface Transportation Program Book.

Transportation Director Vicki Kramer said she believes these projects will help "address statewide asset preservation, modernization, capacity, equity, and safety improvements to provide the best possible transportation system for the movement of people and goods." Additionally, according to Kramer, projects should be accelerated under the recently-passed bonding authority system passed in LB727 this year, which departs from Nebraska's previous pay-as-you-go policy.

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