State Roads Budget $316M

SIDNEY – More than $26.66 million of a $316 million state roads budget has been dedicated to District 5, which includes Cheyenne County, for completion of state highway projects. Under the plan released on Tuesday, the Brownson Interstate 80 interchange is scheduled for contracting for a $420,000 mill and crack seal project while the district also undergoes lighting improvement.

The Nebraska Department of Road’s fiscal year 2010-11 state budget is down more than $170 million from last year’s figure because the previous budget was bolstered by more than $160 million in federal stimulus dollars. The state says it intends to put the $316 million worth of projects out to bid this fiscal year, which began July 1, but warns that construction may not be completed within that same time frame.

The District 5 plan calls for projects in Cheyenne, Kimball, Banner, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Deuel, Dawes and Sioux counties.

Sidney city officials have been watchful of the state roads fiscal year budgets because under the five-year program is a project to resurface U.S. Highway 30 through Sidney. That $1.35 million project remained this year under the five-year category. When the project is contracted, the city will be financially responsible for the parking lanes of the highway within city limits, which was cause for distress a year ago.

“We’re not in the same situation we were in a year ago,” City Manager Gary Person said. “We’re less apprehensive now with the occupation taxes to help fund street projects.”

Person said the city’s distress developed over the sales tax refund issue that has taken more than $600,000 in sales tax revenue from the city to fund state incentive programs. Person said the state’s district engineer has worked with city officials and has been aware of funding issues on both the city and state levels.

Person added that until the project is bid, the city won’t know how much it will cost.

Under the current fiscal year plan, Kimball County projects include an 11.4 mile project to mill and inlay I-80 at a cost of $2.8 million; a $315,000 I-80 bridge repair; a $234,000 lighting improvement at the Pine Bluffs I-80 interchange; a $535,000 study on the Heartland Expressway Corridor Plan on U.S. Highway 71; and a $410,000 deck overlay at the Bushnell Link.

Deuel County projects include a $798,000 resurfacing project on U.S. Highway 385 from Chappell to the Nebraska/Colorado border; crack sealing 17.5 miles of I-80 from Chappell to the South Platte River at a cost of $250,000; and an $830,000 mill and resurface project on 9.2 miles of U.S. Highway 30 between Lodgepole and Chappell.

Banner County is scheduled to undergo the second largest project on the district’s fiscal year plan. At a cost of more than $5.84 million, the state plans to mill and resurface 11.7 miles of Nebraska Highway 88, both north and south.

A $7.05 million project in Dawes County to resurface 16.6 miles of Hwy. 385 near Chadron is included, as are a $4.2 million project in Sioux County to mill and resurface 8.7 miles of U.S. Highway 20, and a $1.22 million project to complete the same type of roadwork on 11.4 miles of Nebraska Highway 26 in Sheridan County.

Scotts Bluff County is listed for numerous projects including resurfacing and armor coating 4.1 miles of Nebraska Highway 92 for $388,000; joint sealing 7.9 miles of Hwy. 26 from Mitchell to Scottsbluff, estimated to cost $409,000; a $437,000 project to resurface and armor coat 4.9 miles of Hwy. 26 from Morrill to Mitchell; and a $4,671 project to resurface 7.4 miles of Hwy. 26, a carryover project funded in the previous fiscal year.

The plan also calls for a $250,000 study on Hwy. 385 in Morrill County.