Nebraska DOT Nears Construction of Fremont Beltway Project
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
Nebraska Department of Transportation officials announced they have secured a construction schedule for a major beltway project with the help of financial support from local representatives.
NDOT announced May 29 that construction on the Fremont Southeast Beltway could begin as early as July 6 because of financial support from local government entities in the Fremont area.
The Fremont Southeast Beltway project is a divided highway, approximately 4 miles long, that is meant to alleviate congestion in the residential and downtown areas of Fremont, which is 40 miles west of Omaha. Trucks rely on the Fremont area to access railroads. Regionally, the project is meant to improve connectivity with U.S. routes 30, 77 and 275.
Some $30 million is being provided by community representatives, including the city of Fremont, Dodge County and local businesses, to advance the project. According to NDOT, the project was fast-tracked in 2018, getting pushed from the 2024 construction season to 2020 to address the need to improve mobility and support truck traffic.
How can trucking companies adjust to ensure that essential freight keeps moving while protecting their workers from coronavirus? Host Seth Clevenger speaks with Lilli Chiu of Hub International and Dave Cox of Polaris Transportation. Hear a snippet, above, and get the full program by going to RoadSigns.TTNews.com.
“Over the last several years, the southeast side of Fremont has seen significant development and business expansion,” Fremont City Administrator Brian Newton said. “The investment from the partnership allows us to move forward with the beltway now to support the current and future economic growth of Dodge County.”
Initially, NDOT and Fremont officials agreed upon an investment of $20 million, which would help round out an estimated project cost of $43 million. Subsequent estimates for the project confirmed increased construction costs, hiking the total project bid to $62 million. Fremont, Dodge County, Lincoln Premium Poultry, WholeStone Farms and the Fremont Beef Co. agreed to invest an additional $10 million in the project.
“The Fremont Southeast Beltway project is a great example of what we are focusing on at the department,” NDOT Director Kyle Schneweis said. “Without Fremont’s partnership and support from Lincoln Premium Poultry, this project wouldn’t be happening.”
Schneweis
Agriculture is an important business in Fremont. Besides livestock processing plants, the city contains facilities specializing in feed, fertilizer and agriculture equipment.
“The Southeast Beltway is vital to the Fremont community’s future,” Fremont Mayor Scott Getzschman said. “It will increase the safety of our roads and support the freight needs of businesses like Costco, WholeStone Farms and Fremont Beef. Our partnership with NDOT is strong, but, in the end, it’s the community that stepped up and is securing the future of the beltway.”
Graham Construction, located in Omaha, was awarded the $62 million project contract and is expected to begin work shortly after July 4. NDOT plans to hold a virtual pre-construction meeting to provide details on the project’s timeline and community impacts.
The Fremont Southeast Beltway project was aided by the Build Nebraska Act of 2011, which repurposed a portion of the state sales tax to create $1.2 billion over 20 years for infrastructure projects, and the Transportation Innovation Act of 2016, which allocated $450 million for infrastructure investment.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing:
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | More
