The Lincoln Bypass will provide a new thoroughfare for Highway 65 through the Lincoln area. Currently, Highway 65 goes through the heart of downtown Lincoln on G Street, causing traffic to slow to a crawl as it merges with local traffic and the five traffic signals through town. The Lincoln Bypass will be a new road starting at Industrial Boulevard, will move traffic around the City of Lincoln, and will connect back to the existing Highway 65 near Sheridan.
The purpose of this project is to:
- Improve safety and traffic mobility to address the current and future travel demands between the City of Lincoln and the town of Sheridan.
- Improve interregional freight traffic flow and reduce congestion related economic losses that can occur when transporting goods.
- Improve regional connections between residential areas, employment centers and major commercial centers.
The project will be completed in two phases:
Phase 1 of the Lincoln Bypass, estimated at over $290 million, is constructing a 4 lane segment from Industrial Avenue to Nelson Lane (approximately3 miles), with 2 lanes the remaining segment to Sheridan. Phase 1 includes purchase of right of way for the entire 4 lane project. Funding currently committed to the Lincoln Bypass comes primarily from state and local sources, along with federal funds and local developer impact fees.
Phase 2 would extend the 4-lane segment from Nelson Lane to Sheridan at a cost of nearly $60 million. If full funding for Phase 2 cannot be found in the near future, an alternative option to extend the 4-lane segment to just north of Wise Road at a cost of $25 million, may be possible. Phase 3 would then be created to complete the 4-lane segment from Wise Road to Sheridan should this alternative option be used.