Papillion council approves 1- and 6-year road plan; Cornhusker corridor design, outreach outlined

The Papillion City Council on Oct. 21 approved the city'wide 1- and 6-year road plan and spent substantial time on design and outreach for the Cornhusker corridor and related projects.

Councilman Lundberg pressed staff for details on the Cornhusker segment between 70th and 80th, asking what changes motorists and adjacent property owners should expect. Mr. Kloepner, a city staff member, said the segment will be converted from two lanes to three, adding a center turn lane, a sidewalk on the south side and a 10-foot trail on the north side. "On that project, we're taking it from a 2 lane to a 3 lane, so there'll be a center turn lane. There'll be a sidewalk on the south side and a 10 foot trail on the north side," Kloepner said.

Why it matters: council members repeatedly raised the project'level impacts on adjacent homes, school traffic and property access. Kloepner told council the project is intended to improve traffic operations to approximately a level-of-service C by 2045; without improvements he said the corridor could fall to level-of-service F during peak hours. He also said a right-turn lane will be added at 80th Street and that the design aims to avoid impacts to nearby church parking: "We'll actually start the right turn lane after their access ... so there shouldn't be any impact there to their operations," Kloepner said.

Council and staff discussed outreach and timing. Kloepner said the city completes a 30% design review, then schedules a public meeting at 60% design including mailers and presentation boards. He told the council that individual property owners from whom permanent easements or takings will be required will be contacted separately and met with prior to final design. Kloepner estimated the 60% design milestone would occur in March or April of the next year.

Council members also asked about other corridor work included in the plan. Kloepner said the 80th-to-96th section is planned principally as a five-lane section with some four-lane portions and that the plan includes construction and right-of-way timing over multiple budget years. Councilman Lundberg referenced budget figures discussed in the meeting: $16,000,000 was cited for a later budget year line item and about $26,000,000 was noted for construction on the 80th-to-96th section.

Concerns and mitigation: council members emphasized minimizing impacts to private yards and access. Kloepner said the design team expects to use large block retaining walls in many locations rather than major grading that would remove yards, and that phasing would try to limit school-year disruptions. Councilwoman Hoke asked specifically about coordination with nearby schools and pick-up/drop-off planning; Kloepner said phasing and constructability reviews would include working with schools and developing pedestrian detour routes.

Other corridor items: Council members also asked about the South Washington/Cedardale/Highland intersection improvements in the plan. Kloepner described a reconfigured connection to eliminate a short loop and add a northbound right-turn lane; he also said business owners had been contacted and that the project will include U-turn accommodations at Cedardale to preserve local access.

The council approved the 1- and 6-year road plan after discussion. The meeting also included a separate resolution to approve right-of-way and easement acquisitions for the Ninetieth Street improvement project (Highway 370 to Grunther Street), which staff discussed as primarily acquiring property on the east side of Ninetieth and a small undedicated parcel that had never been platted.

Looking ahead: staff said the projects will continue through the design milestones, additional public meetings and individual property owner outreach before construction. Council members asked staff to prioritize clear communication to residents about timing and impacts.