Lincoln, NE — On Dec 14th, Governor Pete Ricketts, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) Director John Selmer, and other state and local partners gathered to celebrate the opening of the Lincoln South Beltway.
 
Through the collaborative efforts of NDOT and its partners, work is complete on the mainline of the Lincoln South Beltway.  As of Dec 14th, the Beltway is open to traffic.  The $352 million, 11-mile project connects U.S. Highway 77 (US-77) and existing Nebraska Highway 2 (N-2).  This east-west, four-lane freeway will reduce congestion on N-2 through Lincoln and improve regional mobility.
 
“Completing the Lincoln South Beltway has been a priority of my administration as we work to Grow Nebraska,” said Governor Ricketts.  “Whether driving their kids to school, getting to work, or delivering essential goods, all Nebraskans in this region will benefit from this 21^st century infrastructure.  Thank you to Director Selmer and our NDOT teammates, our federal and local partners, and Chris Hawkins and his team at Hawkins Construction for their hard work on the largest NDOT project in state history since construction of the interstate.” 
 
NDOT has been working towards delivery of the Lincoln South Beltway since initial discussions began in the 1960s.  It is the largest, and one of the most complex, projects NDOT has undertaken in state history.
 
Completion of the Lincoln South Beltway was accelerated by historic legislation to fund key infrastructure projects in the state:
 
Following the 2011 passage of the Build Nebraska Act (introduced by then- State Senator Deb Fischer), NDOT was able to partner with the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County, and the U.S. Department of Transportation to secure funding and finalize the project.
 
In 2016, Gov. Ricketts signed into law LB 960, the Transportation Innovation Act, or TIA (introduced at the request of the Governor by former Transportation & Telecommunications Committee Chair Jim Smith and prioritized by former Senator Lydia Brasch).  The TIA targeted $450 million towards accelerated expressway construction and investments in infrastructure projects to help Grow Nebraska.  This legislation was one of the Governor’s top priorities for the 2016 legislative session and was passed with overwhelming support from the Legislature.
 
The 2019 passage of Senator Hilgers’ LB 616  (prioritized by Senator Geist) authorized the state to structure certain highway construction projects as “build-finance” projects to speed up construction on key projects like the Lincoln South Beltway.
 
Together, these bills provided the resources needed to accelerate the completion of the Lincoln South Beltway and other infrastructure projects throughout the state.
 
Additional funding sources came in March of 2018, when NDOT was awarded a $25 million TIGER Grant for the project.  In February 2019, NDOT announced it would use an innovative financing approach to accelerate construction of the project to allow it to be built over three years but paid for over the same eight-year time frame originally laid out in the phased approach.
 
“The teams who got us here on Dec 14th, come from all over our agency, our friends at Benesch, and many more people who played key roles in getting this work accomplished,” said NDOT Director John Selmer. “As with any large project, it takes hours of work and sustained partnerships to get across the finish line. We have so many to thank, including Governor Ricketts, our Federal Highway Administration partners, State legislators, Senator Fischer, the City of Lincoln, and Lancaster County.”
 
In December of 2019, NDOT announced the selection of Hawkins Construction Company to build the Lincoln South Beltway.  In March of 2020, construction began.  By May 2020, major construction commenced ahead of schedule.  As a result, the Beltway’s mainline is now open to the public years ahead of schedule.
 
"It has been an honor to work on the largest project ever for the State of Nebraska,” said Chris Hawkins, Chief Operating Officer of Hawkins Construction Company. “The hard work and dedication that has happened over the last 33 months cannot be understated, and the work should be commended.  We are grateful to be partners on this historic project."
 
Interchanges are open at Saltillo, 68^th Street and 120^th Street. NDOT has worked to provide updates to major mapping applications to ensure smooth navigation on the new alignment. Please visit dot.nebraska.gov/Lincoln-south-beltway to learn more.    
 
Full video of Dec 14th’s event can be found here.

Photos capturing progression of the Lincoln South Beltway, including from Dec 14th’s event, can be found here.