AASHTO Journal - Nebraska DOT Finishes US-275 Highway Project

The Nebraska Department of Transportation recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking completion of the final segment of the US-275 Scribner–West Point corridor expansion project; an endeavor that began back in the summer of 2021.

[Above photo by Nebraska DOT]

The agency said expanding and improving the US-275 corridor has far-reaching, positive impacts on the mostly rural region of northeast Nebraska; supporting the region’s economic competitiveness and providing a more efficient and reliable connection to national freight networks.

Gov. Pillen (at left) with Nebraska DOT’s Kramer. Photo by Nebraska DOT.

“The completion of this stretch of the US-275 expressway is a big win for Nebraska, but we have more work to do,” said Governor Jim Pillen (R) in a statement.

“The local communities understand the need for this expressway to be complete, and the economic benefit it will provide,” he noted. “Local support for this work has been strong and sustained for decades [so] I have directed Nebraska DOT to condense the time needed to complete US-275 expressway from Norfolk to West Point.”

The governor added that completing the US-275 corridor would enhance the economic, employment, service, healthcare, and educational connections for the surrounding region – giving local steelmakers, manufacturers, livestock producers, farmers, and small businesses access to major markets statewide.

Enabling easier access to markets also empowers small agriculture producers to compete regionally while simultaneously growing in their communities at home, noted Vicki Kramer, Nebraska DOT director.

“This newly finished section of US-275 is a major step in our mission to complete the expressway system,” explained Kramer, who serves on the Strategic Advisory Council of the National Operations Center of Excellence and as chair of the Committee on Transportation System Security and Resilience for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

“The Nebraska DOT is exploring conservative and responsible bond financing options in an effort to complete the US-275 corridor on a more condensed schedule that would otherwise not be possible using the pay as you go strategy,” she noted.