Lincoln South Beltway Highway, Nebraska

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The Lincoln South Beltway project includes an 11-mile stretch of east-west freeway south of the City of Lincoln, Nebraska, located between U.S. Highway 77 (US-77) on the west and Nebraska 2 (N-2) on the east, and generally located 0.5 miles south of Saltillo Road. The project is intended to improve east-west connectivity for regional and interstate travel through Nebraska and reduce conflicts between local and thru traffic in Lincoln. In addition, the project will address increased travel demand on Lincoln’s transportation network, conflicts between local and regional trips along Nebraska Highway through Lincoln, and challenges associated with heavy truck traffic through Lincoln. To improve traffic flow through the city, the freeway will connect N-2 southeast of Lincoln with US-77 southwest of Lincoln. The new freeway will include four travel lanes (two in each direction), inside and outside shoulders, a depressed median, and five grade-separated interchanges, including freeway connections with US-77 and N-2, and local road connections at S. 27th, S. 68th, and S. 82nd Streets. The project includes two system interchanges, three service interchanges, 43 miles of roadway alignments, 23 bridges, and 11 roundabouts. To complete the State’s largest transportation project, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) awarded Hawkins Construction with a contract in December 2019. The construction will occur in phases to minimize impacts to access. NDOT partnered with the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County, and the U.S. Department of Transportation to secure funding and prioritize the project. To finance the project, the State developed a funding mechanism that would allow for payments to be spread out over eight-year period, despite the project’s expected three-year completion timeline. Per the contract, NDOT could pay a set amount each quarter, and Hawkins Construction could seek financing to cover costs during construction. Work began on the Lincoln South Beltway in February 2020 with building box culverts, making drainage improvements, and clearing shrubs and trees. Though the impact from COVID-19 kept Hawkins Construction from finalizing their financial package within the originally scheduled time, construction has continued to move forward. The project is slated for open to traffic in spring 2023.

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