Travelers from rural Nebraska into Lincoln will encounter a construction zone on Interstate 80 over the next couple of years. Work will be starting next week to widen Intersate 80 to 6 lanes further west from Lincoln. It will add a lane to a 7.6 mile long stretch of Interstate 80 from Northwest 56th Street to the Pleasant Dale exit.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation says more than 40,000 cars and trucks travel through that area of I-80 daily, and that number is expected to rise to more than 52,000 by 2044.
Hawkins Inc. of Omaha is the contractor on the $116 million project, which is expected to be completed by November 2026. It is the first part of a long-term plan to make I-80 six lanes from Lincoln to Grand Island.
Besides widening the interstate to six lanes, the project will include reconstructions of 4 overhead bridges as well as grading, culvert and electrical work. Crews also will reconstruct the Nebraska 103 interchange.
