Governor Pillen, NDOT Celebrate Progress on US-275 Expressway

NEBRASKA, January 20 - Contact:

Samantha Bernt, 402-430-9768

Governor Pillen, NDOT Celebrate Progress on US-275 Expressway

Jan. 20, 2026 (Norfolk, Neb.) — Today, Governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of

Transportation (NDOT) formalized a major step forward in the completion of the vital U.S.

Highway 275 (US-275) corridor, making good on the Administration’s 2024 commitment to

expedite completion.

Construction will start on the final corridor segment, Wisner to West Point, in spring of 2026. At

the event, Pillen affirmed his commitment to have the entire corridor open to traffic by the end

of 2028. Expediating the timeline has been a priority for the Administration, with Gov. Pillen publicly

tasking the NDOT to make it happen. The NDOT laid out elements of the strategic roadmap that is

enabling the 2028 anticipated timeline.  

The NDOT was able to condense the delivery timeline of US-275 thanks to the Nebraska

Highway Bond Act and investments made through LB 1412 (2024). In 2023, Gov. Pillen

authorized the Nebraska State Highway Commission to provide bond financing for projects

under the Build Nebraska Act (BNA), including the Nebraska Expressway System. In Dec. 2024,

the State Highway Commission unanimously approved the state’s first highway bond issuance

– up to $200 million – to finish the US-275 expressway and fully connect northeast Nebraska to

the interstate system and metropolitan areas.

“Today’s celebration is a beautiful example of how state government can come together and get stuff

done, get it solved, come together and have solutions,” Gov. Pillen said at today’s event. “We’re in the

final stretch of completing US-275 from Norfolk all the way to Omaha. I’m really really proud of what our

department has provided, the leadership to create innovative finance to make this happen.”

NDOT has steadily advanced construction along the corridor to by utilizing a 2+2 approach,

which involves building two new lanes parallel to the existing ones. This strategy is  designed

to maximize the use of existing infrastructure while minimizing environmental impacts and traffic

disruptions. Since 2023, the NDOT has completed approximately 19 miles  of the US-275 corridor.

With the three active segments, Pillen’s NDOT will have completed over 47 miles of the corridor in

under six years. 

That additional funding through the bond issuances and LB 1412 jump-started the final series of

construction segments on the corridor. The Scribner to West Point segment was completed in

late 2024 with construction on the Nebraska Highway 57 east junction with Nebraska Highway

15, starting in April 2025. The East Junction 15 to Wisner project started in October 2025—both

of these ongoing projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2028.

“This is an exciting day for Nebraska, we’ve been working diligently to modernize the way we

deliver projects to responsibly add value without compromising safety or stewardship,” said

NDOT Director Vicki Kramer. “We are grateful to Governor Pillen for the vision of what is possible

when you run government like a business. With financing, NDOT can accelerate schedules, condensing

construction timelines on corridors. Providing immense safety and economic benefits.”

Graham Construction was awarded the contract for the Wisner to West Point segment. Hawkins

Construction and Werner Construction Inc., both of whom are actively working on other portions

of the expressway, were also recognized for their work.

Construction on the Wisner to West Point segment will take place while the roadway remains 

open to traffic, with lane closures and traffic control devices in place. NDOT urges motorists to

remain alert, slow down, and follow posted speed limits through work zones.

For media use: Video of the press conference and photos from the US-275 celebration can be

downloaded here.

Progress on US-275 Expressway