Expect delays as work set to begin on Lincoln Highway

Travelers on the Lincoln Highway--including several hundred cyclists taking part in the Bike Ride Across Nebraska--may encounter delays as they approach Sidney this summer.

Construction on Highway 30 west of town, as well as N-19 to the Colorado state line, will begin on May 28, weather permitting. Work will cover the stretch of road from near the county fairgrounds to the Brownson intersection.

The $2.8 million project on Highway 30 includes milling and widening the lanes then adding an asphalt overlay. During construction, the road will narrow to a single lane, reopening at night.

June, however, will also be a busy month for the historic road. The annual cross-state bike ride begins in Kimball on June 1, passing through Sidney on Highway 30. Up to 600 riders will pedal through the construction zone. At the end of the month, a hundred or more cars taking part in the Lincoln Highway centennial tour also reach town.

“It bothers me,” said Craig Lind, regional director of the Nebraska Department of Roads. But, he pointed out, highway projects involve contractors, millions of dollars in equipment, timelines and the vagaries of weather.

It’s difficult to delay projects, even when summer events are scheduled.

Work is scheduled to be completed by fall on both projects. Milling, widening and base stabilization work will interfere with traffic on N-19 from the Lincoln Highway to the Colorado state line over the same period. Construction is also taking place on Interstate 80--a two-year project--and several interchanges in the area.

“We’re going to have a heck of a lot of work going on,” Lind said.

Werner Construction, Inc., of Hastings, Nebraska is the prime contractor for both two-lane projects. Traffic will be maintained with lane closures, flaggers and pilot vehicles as needed.