Beatrice council backs recommendation for NDOT design of Highway 77 project, approves advisory support 7–1

The Beatrice City Council voted 7–1 to recommend the Nebraska Department of Transportation proceed with design of project CN 13569 along Highway 77, endorsing a plan that could convert part of the corridor to a three-lane section with a center turn lane and reconstruct the South 6th Street bridge.

Mayor Morgan said the recommendation is advisory and that NDOT — not the city — will make final design decisions: "I put my faith in the conversation that I had with the engineers at the MDOT that ... they certainly also believe that it is not warranted there," he said, adding the state will study pedestrian crossings and other safety features.

City staff described the project scope, which includes a three-lane conversion south of a transition point near Lincoln Street (the final transition location will be set by NDOT), rebuilding the South 6th Street bridge to the same 52-foot width but increasing bridge length to about 455 feet and adding a 10-foot sidewalk on each side. Staff estimated the city's cost share at between $1.7 million and $2.5 million depending on the transition point and noted construction would likely not occur until 2028, giving the city time to budget.

"Anytime NDOT has an urban resurfacing project, they look for potential safety improvements," City administrator Tobias Templemeyer said, summarizing NDOT's June report: "The study concluded that the 3 lane conversion south Of Lincoln Street provides time travel benefits in most sections and shows substantial safety benefits." He said NDOT will carry the design work and that the city’s role would be advisory.

Council members and residents raised detailed concerns during more than an hour of discussion and public comment. Several council members described the stakeholder committee as split and said the recommendation reflects a compromise. One council member warned the city could be financially strained if it tried to keep four lanes throughout the corridor: the street department’s capital budget is roughly $1 million a year, while the cost to preserve four lanes along the full stretch was estimated by some speakers at about $6 million.

Residents at the meeting urged caution. James Nelson, who submitted a multi-point handout, asked why the council’s recommendation would remove a pedestrian crossing signal at 6th and High Street before safety studies are complete, and said the council should consider the NDOT traffic study and side-street counts before recommending removal. "Does removing the crossing light improve safety?" he asked. Mayor Morgan repeated that the state will study that intersection and that the city's recommendation is to ask NDOT to evaluate it.

Committee member Billy Hoefling told the council the stakeholder group considered several options and recommended a compromise that would make the three-lane conversion south of Lincoln Street but leave the bridge at 52 feet. Another resident, David Rayburn, said safety statistics were being presented in a misleading way and urged the council to be transparent about numbers and process.

Council members encouraged residents to attend an NDOT open house when the design is released; NDOT will hold the final design and has authority to adopt or alter elements such as roundabouts or signal locations.

The council passed the advisory resolution by a 7–1 vote. Staff said NDOT’s design timeline could extend into 2027–2028 and that the city will be asked to coordinate and provide input during NDOT’s process.