Gov. Heineman Announces Plans to Begin
Heartland Expressway & Kimball Bypass

(Scottsbluff, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman announced today prioritization of two highway projects for western Nebraska. Contract dates and the resulting construction will now begin sooner than originally planned for a portion of the Heartland Expressway route and the Kimball Bypass.

  “By October 15 of this year, the Department of Roads will award the contract for the Kimball Bypass. The contract for the portion of the Heartland Expressway, south of the Morrill/Box Butte County line, will now be awarded in August of 2010.”

 Known as the Kimball Bypass, the I-80 to North Kimball project will include grading, bridges, culverts and paving on a five mile segment to the east of Kimball. The project will relocate Highway N-71, beginning at the East Kimball Interchange at I-80, and end about three miles north of Kimball.

 Design and bridge plans for the Kimball Bypass are already completed. Grading work on the Kimball Bypass could begin as early as November with work continuing through the winter on bridges and viaducts. The Kimball Bypass project cost is currently estimated to be $25 million.

 According to the Nebraska Department of Roads, there are several steps necessary prior to beginning the Heartland Expressway project from the Morrill/Box Butte county line south to Angora. Preliminary work, such as grading and culverts, originally planned for 2012, should now begin as early as fall 2010.

 North from the village of Angora to the Morrill and Box Butte County line, on US-385, is the approximately 14.5 mile Heartland Expressway project. This project will involve constructing two new lanes west of the existing roadway for southbound traffic and resurfacing the existing two lanes for northbound traffic.

 Construction on this portion of the Heartland Expressway will be over a two year period and include culverts, grading, surfacing, surface shoulders, utility work, and realignment of county roads and drives. The project cost is currently estimated at $22.8 million. 

 This year, the Legislature agreed to use $15 million from the state’s Cash Reserve Fund to pay for road work. The money is to be used for highway projects that have already secured federal funding.

 “The Heartland Expressway remains a long-term priority for our state and working with the Department of Roads and the newly designated funds, we are making progress,” Gov. Heineman said.  “From Scottsbluff to Omaha, Kimball to South Sioux City, and Chadron to Falls City – I care deeply about all of Nebraska. I want every part of Nebraska to have the opportunity to experience economic growth.”