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Hastings staff: Highway 6 Southeast work to bid this fall; utility relocations cost roughly $9.5 million
Summary
City staff updated council on the Highway 6 (Hastings Southeast) project schedule and utility relocation costs, saying the city expects about $9.5 million in utility work with approximately 80% reimbursement from the state and construction planned for 2026–27.
City public-works staff gave the council an update on the Hastings Southeast (Highway 6) project, reporting the city’s utility relocation work is estimated at about $9.5 million and that the state will reimburse roughly 80% of those costs.
Staff said the project is scheduled to be bid in the fall of 2025 with construction anticipated in 2026 and 2027, but cautioned scheduling could shift. Phase 1 includes J Street north to Elm Avenue and a roundabout at Elm and South Streets; phase 1 utility relocations must be completed by January 2026, and phase 2 relocations by January 2027. "We will need to have the phase 1 area completed by January of 2026, phase 2 by January 2027," the city staff member said.
Work already under way includes electric duct installation and moving existing overhead lines to underground in the South Street area; gas crews are relocating an 8-inch belt line in the J Street/Elm Avenue corridor; and water work includes upsizing from 10-inch to a 12-inch main as a city-funded betterment. City staff said the water and sewer work will be bid in phases, with the city handling some sewer work directly and coordinating other sewer work with the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) contract.
Staff explained coordination and right-of-way acquisition remain active tasks. "They are still working on that," the staff member said when asked about right-of-way; the city will bring right-of-way packets to council for approval as they are finalized. City staff also described planned reimbursement processes: the state reimburses 80% of eligible relocation costs and the city plans to submit bills—likely quarterly and perhaps more frequently if contractor invoices accumulate—to recoup the state share.
Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about timing and specific elements such as roundabouts and downtown drainage work. Staff said the bid and construction timeline could be pushed into 2028 if schedules change but that the immediate priority is completing utility relocations so the DOT contract is not delayed.
