10th Avenue reopens; project continues as work nears finish line

Driving in downtown Sidney has gotten a little easier with the re-opening of another stretch of 10th Avenue.

As part of the 10th Avenue Rehabilitation Project, that roadway is now open from Illinois Street to Maple Street. The road from Newton Street to across the railroad tracks to Osage Street remain closed and are part of the ongoing work in the fourth and final phase of the project.

"We're happy to have that stretch of 10th Avenue back open," said the City of Sidney public services director John Hehnke. "Our work continues from Newton to Osage."

The project removes and replaces the deteriorating and aging driving surface on 10th Avenue between Illinois Street and Osage Street, replaces storm sewers to improve drainage and deter flooding, reconstructs sidewalks to provide American Disabilities Act-compliant pedestrian walkways and help curb future road maintenance, according to Hehnke.

"When you take on a project like this, there are always other things that become part of it to make everything compliant," Hehnke said. "That included upgrading storm drains and putting in some ADA-compliant handicap ramps on a lot of the corners. This makes that whole area very modern from that aspect."

Hehnke said he expects the project to be wrapped up and 10th Avenue re-opened across the railroad tracks to Osage no later than mid-October.

"It could be earlier if the weather cooperates," he said.

Traffic is be detoured to 13th Avenue using Pine Street to access that part of Sidney, north of the BNSF railroad tracks.

Additional work to paint lines on 10th Avenue from Illinois Street traveling south will also take place over the next few days, Hehnke said.