The Columbus Telegram - Officials Break Ground on Highway 30 Expansion

News Article

By Elizabeth Anna Valla

People from across the area gathered Tuesday morning along U.S. Highway 30 east of Schuyler to witness a moment 30 years in the making.

Nebraska Department of Roads Director Kyle Schneweis gladly snapped in half the metal sign reading "COMING SOON" as community and state leaders broke ground on the four-lane highway expansion.

The blue-and-white sign stood on the side of the road for more than a year, marking the project that will complete the four-lane expressway from Columbus to Fremont -- two economic hubs in the area.

Construction on the 26 miles of four-lane expressway began just east of Schuyler in early October. The project will be completed in three phases: Schuyler to Rogers, Rogers to North Bend and North Bend to Fremont.

All three phases are expected to be completed by 2019 at a cost of around $25.5 million, with a portion of the funding coming from the Build Nebraska Act that dedicated state sales tax revenue to highway improvements.

In a time when infrastructure improvements are critical, Schneweis said it's nice to be in a state focusing on that issue.

"We are building projects, we're putting Nebraskans to work and we're going to grow our state's economy because of it," he said.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry acknowledged the state leaders who worked to make this project happen.

"That's the meaning of the values of Nebraska," Fortenberry said.

"And I can even see in the sign behind us we've got Jesus involved," he added, pointing to a roadside billboard that read, "Jesus, I trust You!"

Creating a continuous four-lane highway from Columbus to the interstate system in Omaha could provide a boost to area economies by drawing in new businesses.

K.C. Belitz, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview earlier this month that one of the most frequently asked questions by companies looking to move to the Columbus area is whether there is four-lane access to the interstate system.

On Tuesday, Belitz praised U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer for her role in establishing the Build Nebraska Act while serving as a state senator. The legislative bill was responsible for getting this project off the ground by diverting a quarter-cent of the state sales tax to roads projects.

The program is expected to generate $1.2 billion over 20 years.

"We need to make sure that our people are connected. We need to make sure that our commerce, our products, travel in this state. We need to make sure our families can have safe travels across the state of Nebraska," Fischer said at Tuesday morning's event.

Fischer said projects like the Highway 30 expansion could provide some influence at the federal level.

"We're going to continue to move forward and make sure that we take care of what I believe is a true priority of the limited government, and that is our infrastructure," she said. "I continue to challenge you to step forward and be among those strong voices with those straight spines who are going to stand up and say that infrastructure is important to the state of Nebraska."

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